The Skinny on Obesity

mamapeach910 wrote: »

Lustig's single-minded focus on fructose misses the point that obesity has many possible factors and is extremely complicated. I personally put on 30 pounds not eating sugar or starchy carbs because my problem was NOT with sugar, it was with food in general. I seriously doubt that I am alone in this.

The other problem is that for all the possible different factors involved, not all of them necessarily apply to everyone who is obese. For example, living in an urban desert and the unavailability of healthy food at an affordable price is known to be a factor for some, but that doesn't apply to me.

I really agree with this. For example, the idea that we need some special explanation involving insulin and leptin and hunger levels to explain why people get fat in contemporary America seems strange to me. I think those things may play a role and sure they should be researched, but Lustig seems to be hooked onto by people who want to say it's not simply eating too much and that people can't be expected to take personal responsibility, which is why I think it gets so much push back here.

I think it's interesting that there IS some subset of people who seem to really struggle with feelings of physical hunger and that for them often low carb (not merely low sugar) helps. But I don't believe that most overweight people are really at the mercy of physical hunger. I think it's a matter of humans liking to eat even when not especially hungry for lots of reasons or being bad with hunger signals.

And of course I'm biased by my own personal issues (which have never been sugar or starchy carbs, particularly, or eating lots of highly processed foods with the dread hidden sugar).

aqsylvester wrote: »

Hornsby wrote: »

Listening to Lustig and taking what he says as truth is a lot like listening to Rush Limbaugh or Bill Maher and taking what they say as truth. It's propaganda with a sprinkle of truth, and a lot of scaremongering to freak out the gullible people who believe things without ever doing their own research.

Well, the man cares about a serious problem. CDC estimates that by 2035, 95% of us will be overweight or obese. By 2050, 1/3 of us will have diabetes....

But you know the CDC! Fear mongerers. smh.

No one is saying not those things aren't concerning. Only that sugar isn't what is causing the obesity epidemic. Overconsumption of everything, not just sugar. Demonizing one particular thing and singling it out as a culprit is a bit ridiculous.

It's like blaming my financial troubles on my dog. Yeah, he costs a lot, but I'm the one in control of my money, and he didn't really need that fur-line parka, did he?

aqsylvester wrote: »

Hornsby wrote: »

Listening to Lustig and taking what he says as truth is a lot like listening to Rush Limbaugh or Bill Maher and taking what they say as truth. It's propaganda with a sprinkle of truth, and a lot of scaremongering to freak out the gullible people who believe things without ever doing their own research.

Well, the man cares about a serious problem. CDC estimates that by 2035, 95% of us will be overweight or obese. By 2050, 1/3 of us will have diabetes....

But you know the CDC! Fear mongerers. smh.

Hm. The last I heard, obesity estimates had essentially leveled out. Also, many people are concerned about obesity, who don't think sugar is the problem. They also care about a "serious problem," but you're conveniently ignoring them.

Also, you're demanding we have an open mind about Lustig, despite good evidence demonstrating that he is at the best single-minded and at the worst full of it, yet you shoot down everything everyone has posted because we're not being open enough. Then, you change the subject and are patronizing. Mhm.

http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/06/sugar-wars/372220/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/fructose-toxic_b_3529120.html


http://www.nature.com/articles/492355a.epdf?referrer_access_token=5TWRnVOGx_GkV0DXxXQ94tRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0MtVi_thPUlRge2z4YM3soaZRL11JlkLQRUO3_ksEoIB8ryU9_WZHR860zW3FpeuWd_Csio7pRx2mPf-66SkE9weoyz8vDyRCtLr6eIsuZpCeaYbOMQAefGgwoQmzufLp6D6ottJp7camvblfmhZ6Gs7_Hszd1PaMDv_e0BewzzDQ==&tracking_referrer=www.huffingtonpost.com

aqsylvester wrote: »

ninerbuff wrote: »

Sugar consumption is the main focus from Lustig and his view of why obesity exists. Thing is that the US isn't even in the top 10 countries that consume the most sugar per capita. Brazil consumes more sugar per capita, yet doesn't have the the obesity percentage that the US has.
While I don't discount that over consumption of sugar may be a contributor, obesity comes down to one main thing even with people who have health issues and that's overly exceeding the amount of calories consumed versus what one burns.
Do I believe that sugar should be reduced in many peoples diets based on reported consumption? I do. But I don't believe that it's the actual cause of someone being very overweight or obese.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

You should check out the second episode. He says the same thing that you did concerning obesity and excess calories... but he explains how and why this over-consumption occurs. One possible cause being excess insulin, which blocks the necessary effects of leptin, causing leptin resistance... the reason why an obese person, who has tons of leptin, is still hungry.

No doubt that hormones have a direct effect, however over consumption has more to do with people discounting or being oblivious to how many calories they are really consuming. Again, if insulin is the issue we should be seeing the SAME results from countries that consume more sugar laced foods than the US is. And the results aren't the same.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition