Wheat Belly — An Analysis of Selected Statements and Basic Theses from the Book

The essence of the Wheat Belly book is captured by the author’s statement in the introduction, “I’d like to make the case that foods made with wheat make you fat.... I’d go as far as saying that overly enthusiastic wheat consumption is the main cause of the obesity and diabetes crisis in the United States.” In this review of the popular press book Wheat Belly by William Davis, a variety of the positions discussed in the book will be analyzed using scientific literature by first stating Davis’ point and then providing an analysis of the point. The statements can be divided into four categories: 1) those which are based on good, sound nutrition science; 2) those that are controversial, i.e., there are studies supporting both sides of the issue; 3) those that are theory, i.e., they have no data to support or refute them; and 4) those that run counter to widely supported data reported in the scientific and medical literature.