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Show 947: Why Overdosing on Sugar Could Be Killing You

Low fat diets are too often high in sugar and fructose, leading to insulin resistance and obesity. How can you stop overdosing on sugar?

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. Can it be attributed to overdosing on sugar?

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 that we are overdosing on sugar, 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.

The podcast of this program will be available the Monday after the broadcast date. The show can be streamed online from this site and podcasts can be downloaded for free.

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About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
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