Think weight loss is all about eating less and moving more? Think again. In this episode, Prof. Giles Yeo reveals why calorie counting isn’t just inaccurate—it could actually make weight management harder. He explains why the popular “calories in, calories out” method doesn’t add up and explores how factors like genetics, brain signals, and gut health play a major role in shaping our weight.
Giles Yeo is a Professor of Molecular Neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge and Honorary President of the British Dietetic Association. His research focuses on the influence of genes on feeding behaviour and body weight. Giles is also the author of ‘Gene Eating’ and ‘Why Calories Don’t Count’.
Giles shares the surprising impact of ultra-processed foods on how we process calories and why losing weight often feels like a battle against our own biology. With decades of research in his back pocket, Giles shares science-backed advice to help you break free from yo-yo dieting, read calorie labels smarter, and embrace a more balanced, plant-rich diet for long-term health.
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Timecodes
01:17 The quickfire round on weight myths
02:05 The biggest weight loss myth revealed
03:07 What are calories, really?
04:08 Burning poop: a bizarre calorie experiment
08:05 The woman who invented calorie counting
11:41 How calories became a diet obsession
15:00 Why calorie counting doesn’t work
18:56 Why food quality matters more
20:05 The blindspot of calorie labels
23:13 We eat food, not calories
27:02 Stress eating vs. stress starving
31:00 Why we always have room for dessert
38:22 How your gut controls your hunger
45:17 Why pizza makes your brain light up
49:41 Ultra-processed foods hijack your appetite
📚Books by our ZOE Scientists
The Food For Life Cookbook
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Free resources from ZOE
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Long-term weight-loss maintenance: a meta-analysis of US studies, 2001, published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
How dieting might make some fatter: modeling weight cycling toward obesity from a perspective of body composition autoregulation, 2020, published in International Journal of Obesity
Weight-loss outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of weight-loss clinical trials with a minimum 1-year follow-up, 2007, published in Journal of the American Dietetic Association
Diet or Exercise Interventions vs Combined Behavioral Weight Management Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Direct Comparisons, 2014, published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Diet, exercise or diet with exercise: comparing the effectiveness of treatment options for weight-loss and changes in fitness for adults (18–65 years old) who are overfat, or obese; systematic review and meta-analysis, 2015, published in Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders
Is regular exercise an effective strategy for weight loss maintenance?, 2019, Physiology & Behavior
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Episode transcripts are available here.