"That physicist needs a refresher course."

That's the way I read it at first but I have to cut him a break. It's the writer that lays out the physicist's argument in a cart before horse sequence. I guess just to increase the suspense of the article or something.

The physicists guy published the results of a survey of doctors, dieticians and personal trainers about "what happens to fat" then helpfully shows how to figure out the right answer from the first principles of thermo. He's not presenting this as a new discovery but as something doctors, dieticians and personal trainers should know but don't. He ends his publication with "We recommend these concepts be included in secondary school science curriculums and university biochemistry courses to correct widespread misconceptions about weight loss." Which is right and helpful.

Interestingly the only people surveyed who got it right were ~6% of the dieticians!