Show 947: Why Overdosing on Sugar Could Be Killing You

The dogma that weight control is a simple matter of “eat less, exercise more” has dominated debates about the obesity epidemic for decades. Yet the frightening prevalence of excess weight, especially among our children, has not yielded to calls to action.

Why Advice to Eat Less Fat Has Backfired

There is growing evidence that not all calories are created equal. Although Americans have been told to avoid fat because it can make us fat, this advice has resulted in higher amounts of sugar, fructose, and other highly refined carbohydrates in our diet. Dr. Robert Lustig finds that processed foods, high in sugar and low in fiber, are the most likely culprits that are truly making Americans fatter. He offers scientific evidence, and he has practical advice on the solution: eat real food!

This Week’s Guest

Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, is Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and Member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at University of California, San Francisco. He is a neuroendocrinologist whose clinical research has focused on the regulation of energy balance by the central nervous system. His books include the bestseller Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease and The Fat Chance Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes Ready in Under 30 Minutes to Help You Lose the Sugar and the Weight. Dr. Lustig is also President of the non-profit Institute for Responsible Nutrition, a think tank devoted to improving our food supply.