New Book Released by Former Schmidt College of Science Dean

Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Emeritus Professor of Physics Nathan Dean, Ph.D., and former dean of the college, released a new book that demonstrates an easier and healthier way to lose weight permanently. According to Dean’s book, “Exponential Weight Loss: Easier than Dieting, and It Works!” in order to lose 10 pounds, simply cutting out 150 calories from your daily diet – the amount in a can of soda – is the way to start.  

Earlier in his career, Dean initially published research regarding the energetics of exercise. More recently, though, he extended his research to show how the body uses and stores energy when dieting. Because the body requires only about 15 calories per pound per day to maintain itself, reducing your calorie intake by 150 calories means that your body can support 10 fewer pounds of weight.   

“The result is an exponential loss of weight – 10 pounds for every 150 calories,” stated Dean. “It is slow – it will take 18 months to two years to reach stability. But it is easy because the calorie reduction is so small you will hardly notice it. And it lasts, because your body adjusts gradually without the stress and disappointment that inevitably accompanies dieting.”  

Dean has spent years building mathematical models of physical processes. While modeling the behavior of subnuclear particles as a physics professor at Iowa State University, he lost weight after he began running. So, he decided to build a mathematical model of that process, as well. He found that each additional daily mile resulted in a loss of about five percent of body weight. For many years afterward, while his daily running distance varied, his model accurately described how his weight changed with it.  

Based on that success, he extended the model to describe how weight loss results from dieting. To his surprise, he found that the severe calorie reduction of commercial diet plans is counterproductive. A small reduction in daily calorie intake is all that is required for a significant weight loss. But it is a slow process – an exponential decrease over a couple of years of about one pound for every 15 calories. And, as with running, his own body verified that prediction.   

A native of Tennessee, Dean received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Cambridge University in 1968. He taught on the faculties of Vanderbilt University, Iowa State University, the University of Georgia, and Binghamton University, before accepting a position as a professor of physics in 1993 at FAU. A few months after his arrival, he moved into the role of vice president for the Boca Raton campus. Subsequently, he served as the vice provost for Academic Affairs until 2002, and as the dean of the College of Science until 2006. Dean remained at Florida Atlantic as a professor of physics until his retirement in 2011. Dean’s wife, Mary, also worked on Florida Atlantic’s Boca Raton campus while the couple lived in town.  

The pair wanted to leave a lasting legacy for physics students, so together they established the Nathan W. Dean Award in Physics. An annual award supports either an undergraduate or graduate student in the Department of Physics who shows the greatest promise for a future faculty career in physics.  

The couple now resides in Atlanta. In addition to continuing his research, Dean is also an avid fine art photographer. His book is available in paperback and e-book formats on Amazon and at other booksellers.