Why We Eat - with Zoe Harcombe

Why do we eat what we do?

Why is there so much conflict around the subject of food?

How can we reach a better understanding of food and nutrition and make the right choices for us and our families?

In today’s episode, I am speaking with Zoe Harcombe who is a public health researcher, author and speaker on matters of public health and nutrition.

We discuss:

• Some of the conflicts that shape our choices and how to take back control

• Why we should question everything, and especially nutritional guidelines influenced by the food industry

• How to enjoy good food without becoming obsessed

More about Zoe Harcombe

Dr. Zoë Harcombe is a Cambridge University graduate with a BA and MA in economics/maths and a long-term member of Mensa (the high IQ society). Zoë enjoyed a successful career in blue chip organisations before leaving corporate life in 2008 to pursue her passion – diet and health. Her early career involved international roles in management consultancy, manufacturing and marketing in global organisations – from FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) to telecoms – before specialising in Human Resources. She has worked for big food (Mars Inc.) and big pharma (GSK) and so knows these industries from within. At the peak of her career, Zoë was Vice President for Human Resources for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Three of Zoë’s books were published while she was ‘Head of People.’ These were Why do you overeat?(2004), Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight (2008), and a real food recipe book (2008). At the end of 2008, Zoë left employment to research obesity full time. This culminated in the publication in 2010 of The Obesity Epidemic: What caused it? How can we stop it? (in full here). This was followed by The Harcombe Diet for men in 2011 – a short read for those who don’t like diet books.

Zoë returned to full time education in 2012 to complete a PhD in public health nutrition (awarded March 2016). Her thesis was a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence for the introduction of dietary fat restrictions. The full document is available to site members here. She has over 20 peer-reviewed publications challenging government dietary guidelines (listed here). The first paper from her PhD was the 64th most impactful paper in any discipline in 2015.