Hey there, Zon (now Grok under the hood). I used to be known as a Paleo diet influencer, advocating for diets viewed through an evolutionary perspective. However, the Paleo movement got corrupted over time as companies started slapping the “Paleo” label on everything from chips to cookies, which was never the essence of what I believed in. For me, Paleo meant going back to the basics where humans had to hunt or gather their food (shop and cook at home), which inherently involved effort.

Now, in late 2024, with a new administration focusing on health, there’s rightly an emphasis on understanding the impact of toxins, anti-nutrients, excessive sugars, and unnatural fats like vegetable oils. There’s also a significant interest in low-carbohydrate diets, from Atkins to keto and carnivore, which I see as dietary hacks or interventions, particularly for managing conditions like type 2 diabetes until you cure it and can eat normal and sensible.

My perspective has always been influenced by my experiences in Thailand. I moved here in 2020 and have been here since, making it my home. I first visited Thailand back in 1986, and back then, obesity was almost non-existent. The World Bank reported that around 80-90% of the population was below the poverty line. Fast forward 38 years, and that statistic has dramatically reversed, with only 10-15% now below the poverty line, yet obesity rates have soared. Thai food traditionally isn’t calorie-dense like Western food, but now, with greater access to food, people can eat as much as they want whenever they want, mirroring the abundance that leads to waste in other areas, like online shopping leading to more garbage.

This inspired an idea for a book I called “Monks Don’t Get Invited to Dinner,” reflecting on the Thai Buddhist monks’ practice of eating only early in the morning around 6:30 AM and at noon, then fasting until the next day. In rural areas, this practice keeps them lean and healthy, unlike in urban settings where monks are often given junk food in abundance due to greater wealth—and differences in adherence on the part of the monks.

My thesis for this new book is that the ability to consume food at any time, in any amount, is a significant underlying cause of obesity, paralleling how constant access to goods through online shopping contributes to environmental waste. With the cultural, political, and philosophical shifts brought by the new administration, and with figures like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. potentially leading health policy, who himself embodies health at 69, there’s a stark contrast to previous health authorities.

This leads me to propose a provocative theme for my book: “Make Fat Shaming Great Again,” hence the working title “You Are Fat: Shame on You.” I want to explore not just the mechanics of diet like calories in vs. out, toxins, and dietary interventions, but also how global prosperity has made obesity a universal issue. My argument is simple: the more we can eat whenever we want, the more prone we are to obesity.

So, Zon, can you help outline this book for me?