Includes bibliographical references and index.

We burn 2,000 calories a day. And if we exercise and cut carbs, we'll lose more weight. Right? Wrong. In this paradigm-shifting book Herman Pontzer reveals for the first time how human metabolism really works so that we can finally manage our weight and improve our health. Pontzer's groundbreaking studies with hunter-gatherer tribes show how exercise doesn't increase our metabolism. Instead, we burn calories within a very narrow range: nearly 3,000 calories per day, no matter our activity level. At the same time, we must exercise to keep our body systems and signals functioning optimally, even if it won't make us thinner. Revealing, irreverent, and always entertaining, Pontzer has written a book that will change how you eat, move, and live. From back cover.