Fall is in the air and a high-school reunion is on the horizon for Dan and his wife, Michelle. As the event approaches, Dan takes a nostalgic trip through his old yearbook. Besides reminiscing on silly haircuts and high-school sweethearts, he spends time brushing up on the names of all his old friends. It’s a good thing, too, because when he reconnects with Robert at the bar, he barely recognizes him. While Robert looks a little older, it’s not the years that make him unrecognizable—it’s his impressive physique! Robert, once the object of ridicule and exclusion, has undergone a complete 180-degree change, and Dan and Michelle want to learn his secret. This sets off a series of intensive motivation and training sessions where Robert introduces them to his healthy lifestyle program, The Fat Burner Secrets.
A nonfiction book tucked inside a relatable fictional story, Daniel Eamer addresses a complex problem with common sense and compassion. From cabbage soup diets to addictive amphetamines, the decades have witnessed a continuous cycle of fluctuating weight loss and fitness trends. Still, obesity rates have reached pandemic levels in countries across the globe. What can be done? With a focus on overall health, The Fat Burner Secrets is a diet book based on “the science-backed truth, no strings attached.” Framed as a fictional success story and based on the author’s own health victories, this hybrid novel addresses obstacles and misconceptions that stand in the way of better overall health. Robert advocates for progress based on measurable goals that don’t revolve around a scale, and he emphasizes the need for permanent, practical change. He still allows for a cheat day, but is adamant about the need to stop yo-yo dieting by first addressing our mindset. Despite verbose explanations, dialogue that feels forced, and a sales pitch for the diet that comes on strong, the content is rooted in scientific research and the advice is reasonable. Valuable insights include evaluating foods on calorie and nutrition density rather than health claims, seeing past deceptive industry marketing ploys, specific regimens for exercise, and the basic need to become truly convinced of the value of health versus the downsides of carrying around excess fat. If you’re looking to improve your health through the eyes of a relatable fictional couple embarking on a similar journey, you’ll benefit from The Fat Burner Secrets.
