Jason Fung

Fung graduated with his medical degree from the University of Toronto and completed his residency and fellowship in nephrology at the University of California, Los Angeles.{{Cite web|date=2025|url=https://www.dietdoctor.com/authors/dr-jason-fung-m-d|title=Dr. Jason Fung, MD|website=Diet Doctor|archive-date=March 7, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250307205420/https://www.dietdoctor.com/authors/dr-jason-fung-m-d|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |title=BBC Science Focus Magazine - Dr Jason Fung |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/author/dr-jason-fung |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.sciencefocus.com |language=en}}

Fung is an author of books advocating fasting and low-carbohydrate high-fat diets.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerrybowyer/2017/01/02/is-fasting-the-cure-for-bloated-health-care-costs/|title=Is Fasting The Cure For Bloated Healthcare Costs?|first=Jerry|last=Bowyer|website=Forbes}} His first book, The Complete Guide to Fasting co-authored by Jimmy Moore was published in 2016 and offered insight to all aspects of fasting culture.{{Cite web|date=2022|url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/complete-guide-to-fasting-heal/9781628600018-item.html|title=Complete Guide To Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-day, And Extended Fasting|website=indigo.ca|archive-date=February 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210184521/https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/complete-guide-to-fasting-heal/9781628600018-item.html|url-status=live}} The Obesity Code and The Diabetes Code were subsequently published in 2016 and 2018.{{cite journal|author=Scherger, Joseph E.|year=2019|title=The Diabetes Code|journal=Fam Med|volume=51|issue=3|pages=286–287|doi=10.22454/FamMed.2019.998853|s2cid=76663782 |doi-access=free}} His book The Obesity Code Cookbook was published in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/entertainment/books/international-30-bestselling-books-for-the-week-of-dec-21|title=International: 30 bestselling books for the week of Dec. 21|website=vancouversun}} In 2020, Fung co-authored with naturopath Nadia Brito Pateguana The PCOS Plan: Prevent and Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Through Diet and Fasting.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-pcos-plan-prevent-and/9781771644600-item.html|title=The PCOS Plan: Prevent and Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome through Diet and Fasting|website=indigo.ca}} His book The Cancer Code, published in 2020 advocates intermittent fasting and a low-carbohydrate diet to reduce cancer risk.{{Cite book|url=https://www.harperwave.com/book/9780062894007/The-Cancer-Code-Dr.-Jason-Fung/|title=The Cancer Code by Dr. Jason Fung|first=Dr Jason|last=Fung|date=November 10, 2020|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers |isbn=9780062894007 |via=www.harperwave.com|archive-date=November 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129053227/https://www.harperwave.com/book/9780062894007/The-Cancer-Code-Dr.-Jason-Fung/|url-status=dead}} In 2021, Fung co-authored The Diabetes Code Cookbook with Alison Maclean.{{Cite web|date=2021|title=The Diabetes Code Cookbook|url=https://greystonebooks.com/products/the-diabetes-code-cookbook|website=Greystone Books|language=en-GB|archive-date=December 13, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213084326/https://greystonebooks.com/products/the-diabetes-code-cookbook|url-status=live}} Fung has suggested that there is "nothing wrong" with fasts of up to a month.{{cite web | url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/11/one-month-without-food/508220/ | title=One Month Without Food | website=The Atlantic | date=21 November 2016 }}

Fung is the director of the non-profit organization Public Health Collaboration.{{Cite web|date=2024|title=Jason Fung, MD|url=https://www.ifm.org/about/profile/jason-fung-md/|website=The Institute for Functional Medicine|language=en-GB|archive-date=September 17, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240917230130/https://www.ifm.org/about/profile/jason-fung-md/|url-status=dead}} He is an advocate of functional medicine.

Renza Scibilia in Clinical Diabetes commented that Fung's belief that all the current evidence-based, conventional treatments are wrong for type 2 diabetes is an untrue assertion but his dietary management solution to treat diabetes is very clear.{{cite journal |last1=Scibilia |first1=Renza |date=2019 |title=The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally |journal=Clinical Diabetes | volume=37 |issue=3 |pages= 302–303|doi= 10.2337/cd19-0025|pmid=31371867|pmc=6640893 }} This includes type 2 diabetics removing fructose, processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages from their diet whilst increasing natural fats.

Fung's book The Obesity Code received a 31% score for scientific accuracy and an overall score of 60% by Red Pen Reviews.{{Cite web|last=Yoder|first=Seth|date=2019|title=The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss|url=https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/the-obesity-code-unlocking-the-secrets-of-weight-loss/|website=Red Pen Reviews|language=en-GB|archive-date=October 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221024210329/https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/the-obesity-code-unlocking-the-secrets-of-weight-loss/|url-status=live}} Reviewer Seth Yoder commented that several of the main claims of the book are poorly supported by science including the idea that elevated levels of insulin are the primary cause of obesity. Yoder concluded that intermittent fasting may be useful for weight loss, "but most people will not find it as effective as claimed in the book".

Fung's book The Diabetes Code received a 33% score for scientific accuracy at Red Pen Reviews. Reviewer Shaun Ward commented that the benefits of a low-carbohydrate and harms of sugar and medication were overstated by Fung and that although the dietary advice may be effective for managing type 2 diabetes it is unlikely to be sustainable for most people.{{Cite web|author=Ward, Shaun|date=2024|title=The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally|url=https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/the-diabetes-code/|website=Red Pen Reviews|language=en-GB|archive-date=January 20, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250120042721/https://www.redpenreviews.org/reviews/the-diabetes-code/|url-status=live}}

• The Complete Guide to Fasting (2016)
• The Obesity Code (2016)
• The Diabetes Code (2018)
• The Obesity Code Cookbook (2019)
• The Longevity Solution (2019)
• The PCOS Plan: Prevent and Reverse Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Through Diet and Fasting (2020)
• The Cancer Code (2020)
• ''Life in the Fasting Lane (2020)
• The Diabetes Code Cookbook (2021){{Cite web |title=Books by Jason Fung (Author of The Obesity Code) |url=https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/13509421.Jason_Fung |access-date=2025-04-26 |website=www.goodreads.com}}

• Therapeutic fasting as a potential effective treatment for type 2 diabetes: A 4-month case study.{{Cite journal |last1=Ku |first1=Michael |last2=Ramos |first2=Megan J. |last3=Fung |first3=Jason |date=2017-12-15 |title=Therapeutic fasting as a potential effective treatment for type 2 diabetes: A 4-month case study |url=https://journalofmetabolichealth.org/index.php/jmh/article/view/31 |journal=Journal of Metabolic Health |language=en |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=5 |doi=10.4102/jir.v2i1.31 |issn=2960-0391|doi-access=free }}
• Hyperinsulinemia and Insulin Resistance: Scope of the Problem.{{Cite journal |last1=Fung |first1=Jason |last2=Berger |first2=Amy |date=2016-12-03 |title=Hyperinsulinemia and Insulin Resistance: Scope of the Problem |url=https://journalofmetabolichealth.org/index.php/jmh/article/view/18/25 |journal=Journal of Metabolic Health |language=en |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=6 |doi=10.4102/jir.v1i1.18 |issn=2960-0391|doi-access=free }}
• Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin.{{Cite journal |last1=Furmli |first1=Suleiman |last2=Elmasry |first2=Rami |last3=Ramos |first3=Megan |last4=Fung |first4=Jason |date=2018-10-09 |title=Therapeutic use of intermittent fasting for people with type 2 diabetes as an alternative to insulin |journal=BMJ Case Reports |volume=2018 |pages=bcr2017221854, bcr–2017–221854 |doi=10.1136/bcr-2017-221854 |issn=1757-790X |pmc=6194375 |pmid=30301822}}

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Category:1973 births

Category:21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers

Category:Alternative cancer treatment advocates

Category:Anti-obesity activists

Category:Canadian health and wellness writers

Category:Canadian nephrologists

Category:Fasting researchers

Category:Functional medicine advocates

Category:Living people

Category:Low-carbohydrate cookbook writers

Category:Low-carbohydrate diet advocates

Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni

Category:University of Toronto alumni