Robert Lustig, anti-sugar crusader, speaks his mind

[Jingthing]

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/aug/24/robert-lustig-sugar-poison

I thought this article would be of interest to people effected by overweight and obesity so I am just sharing it here without comment.

I realize this information isn't new to all of us, and some will agree, some will disagree, but keep in mind there are many people still unaware of these issues and awareness is at least a place to start.

"The problem isn't a knowledge deficit," an obesity counsellor once told me. "There isn't a fat person on Earth who doesn't know vegetables are good for you." Lustig agrees. "I, personally, don't have a lot of hope that those things will turn things around. Education has not solved any substance of abuse. This is a substance of abuse. So you need two things, you need personal intervention and you need societal intervention. Rehab and laws, rehab and laws. Education would come in with rehab. But we need laws."

[h90]

I agree with him, but as usually complete over the top.....sugar vs cocaine, tobacco......

It is perfectly possible to eat sometimes some sugar without problems.

Having sometimes something sweet and fast food and over the top sugar eating is mixed together....

[JSixpack]

Spot on, if a bit too apocalyptic. Should be in a sticky here and required reading as a quick intro to the problem of obesity. From there, a reader might go on to the problem of starches.

I'd agree w/ having gov't-mandated warning labels about sugar (in its various forms).

[Jingthing]

He made it clear he isn't for a total ban on sugar and he also isn't asserting that people consume NO sugar.

The trouble is for modern people it is very difficult to AVOID eating too much sugar.

It is in most commercial food products, in large quantities.

[doggie888888]

I heard about him and a separate earlier research by another scientist that was buried by big food businesses. There is a you tube presentation titled Sugar: The Bitter Truth.

[Jingthing]

A bit off topic, and maybe not as directly linked to obesity like sugar is, but another big health related problem is too much SALT. Apparently the vast majority of people are really eating too much of that and there are bad health consequences to that too.

[h90]

He made it clear he isn't for a total ban on sugar and he also isn't asserting that people consume NO sugar.

The trouble is for modern people it is very difficult to AVOID eating too much sugar.

It is in most commercial food products, in large quantities.

yes that is something that I don't understand. Why are all commercial food products full with sugar? Even these promoted as without sugar are loaded with it (than it is called grape concentrate.....).

Is there no market for a healthy (or healthy in compare to the usual ones) frozen Pizza?

And second why are people buying that crap? If you call food "junk food" you obviously known that it is junk....people know it, why do they buy it?

Cooking yourself if often almost as fast as heating such food.

fry eggs

fry pork chops

salad with tuna

is done in 5 min.

[Showbags]

Tax it to the max and then add some. Use it to pay for all the medical costs these lard <deleted> with extremely low self control rack up.

[rajyindee]

He made it clear he isn't for a total ban on sugar and he also isn't asserting that people consume NO sugar.

The trouble is for modern people it is very difficult to AVOID eating too much sugar.

It is in most commercial food products, in large quantities.

Nowt wrong with Krispy Kremes ...

[h90]

Tax it to the max and then add some. Use it to pay for all the medical costs these lard <deleted> with extremely low self control rack up.

yes tax CO2, gasoline, cigarettes, alcohol, flights, sweet food, fatty food, harmful sports, electric, gas, etc etc etc

It will put the normal people back to where they belong: they will work hard just to survive like slaves and for the rich it makes little difference if the ice cream costs the double.

[Wrong Turn]

I assume many of us have seen part of this:

"Sugar: the bitter truth."

This is the long version but there is a short 30 minute version that is very well done.

[Chonburiram]

I assume many of us have seen part of this:

"Sugar: the bitter truth."

This is the long version but there is a short 30 minute version that is very well done.

Actually,

it's about fructose... NOT SUGAR!

Real, expensive, sugar, from sugar cane, is a great thing to have...

[h90]

I assume many of us have seen part of this:

"Sugar: the bitter truth."

This is the long version but there is a short 30 minute version that is very well done.

Actually,

it's about fructose... NOT SUGAR!

Real, expensive, sugar, from sugar cane, is a great thing to have...

Fructose is a sugar.

normal sugar from the supermarket is half fructose half glucose. Bound together. First thing the body does is to split it.

If fructose is bad than normal sugar is half as bad.

[Wrong Turn]

^ and ^^,

This doctor does mention coca-cola, so it's fructose, sucrose, and all things "sugar."

Edited September 19, 2014 by Wrong Turn

[hughben]

I got into Lustig last year. I watched his seminars online and they opened up my eyes. I only really drink water now and drain most juice from my fruit.

Although, I am not overweight, I am interested in nutrition not just for my training but to help others as I would love to see everyone adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Speaking of Lustig, he is in this documentary I am currently watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCUbvOwwfWM

It is well worth seeing. It is online now if you know how to use torrents.

[h90]

I got into Lustig last year. I watched his seminars online and they opened up my eyes. I only really drink water now and drain most juice from my fruit.

Although, I am not overweight, I am interested in nutrition not just for my training but to help others as I would love to see everyone adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Speaking of Lustig, he is in this documentary I am currently watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCUbvOwwfWM

It is well worth seeing. It is online now if you know how to use torrents.

If the water gets boring......

I started to drink some different kinds of tea (without sugar and milk), some hot some cold.

I always thought green tea is something for fanatics and Chinese, but it is a real alternative to plain water.

Or soda water with a lemon.

I think with only avoiding the worst of the junk food people would be already healthy. The body is great to compensate a lot wrong things, just only burgers, coke and sweets is too much unless you work hard outside in Sibirsk winter.

[Jingthing]

Green tea is great.

Some coffee is more than OK for most people.

I think better to skip the carbonated water and go with plain old water.

[hughben]

I do drink decaff tea - South African Rooibos.

As I don't drink alcohol, when I go to a bar it is orange or pineapple juice, but that is rare anyway.

Edited September 21, 2014 by hughben

[dontoearth]

I got into Lustig last year. I watched his seminars online and they opened up my eyes. I only really drink water now and drain most juice from my fruit.

Although, I am not overweight, I am interested in nutrition not just for my training but to help others as I would love to see everyone adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Speaking of Lustig, he is in this documentary I am currently watching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCUbvOwwfWM

It is well worth seeing. It is online now if you know how to use torrents.

I just watched the trailer! Excellent! I see Michelle Obama is very active promoting activity and downplaying diet and nutrition. Want to bet Pepsi, McDonald's and Coke supply ample donations to her husband for his new library in Chicago? She never commented on her husband allowing a 30% cut in food stamps so poor people have even less money for fruits and vegetables either. I am real liberal! The phonies steam me.

[JHolmesJr]

Good article..I have cut out 90-95% sugar from my diet and feel great.

I realised long time ago that hcfs and white sugar were terrible for me….but thought healthier natural sugars like honey, agave and maple syrup were the answer.

They don't give you sugar spikes…and are better from a nutrition standpoint…but they will still make you fat.

Nowadays I have ditched to low GI coconut sap sugar…used very sparingly….maybe 4-5 teaspoons a week.

If I crave dessert, I eat the best form of sugar there is….one date….the stuff releases very slowly into the bloodstream and tastes bloody amazing.

[Alive]

I think the idea of cutting 90-95% sugar from your diet is good but it's almost impossible unless you only eat at home. I totally believe in the low carb/insulin logic but personally find it terribly hard to follow that way of eating and be happy with food because I am a terrible cook. buying food from shops and restaurants in Thailand is also difficult. I wonder for those who have taken this up how long have you stuck with it in months and years? And how often do you fall off the program. To be successful at it for those who start from being fat or obese, you bascially have to do it for life, forever it seems.

[JSixpack]

46 minutes ago, Alive said:

I think the idea of cutting 90-95% sugar from your diet is good but it's almost impossible unless you only eat at home. I totally believe in the low carb/insulin logic but personally find it terribly hard to follow that way of eating and be happy with food because I am a terrible cook. buying food from shops and restaurants in Thailand is also difficult. I wonder for those who have taken this up how long have you stuck with it in months and years? And how often do you fall off the program. To be successful at it for those who start from being fat or obese, you bascially have to do it for life, forever it seems.

 

It's not just sugar but carbs in general.

 

To be successful at any diet you basically have to do it for life, forever. Most people find dieting of any sort difficult to stick to, hence the low success rates. No diet (esp nowadays) = inevitable progressive weight gain.

 

Low carb, however, has one of the best rates long-term compliance. You might read Low-Carb Diets – Healthy, but Hard to Stick to? This, without the expense of being tied to purchasing special prepared meals, focus/fitness classes etc. I do think it's easiest.

 

I'd say it's no more difficult in Thailand than in other countries, so that's not going to do as an excuse. In the West, you fight against the bread, pies, potatoes, pasta, cake, sugar in drinks, juices, canned goods, etc. And alcohol, beer esp. Here, it's rice, noodles, and added sugar. And alcohol, beer esp. Rice is easily avoided by not ordering it or pushing it aside; sugar lurks everywhere but can be greatly minimized. For example, order stir fried veggies w/ chicken but no rice. From any restaurant, even Western, you can order just meats & veggies. At most supermarkets you can buy roast chicken and salad from the salad bar. Doing that religiously, you can splurge maybe once every two weeks but you have much less desire to do so: I used to crave pizza but no longer.

 

It's visiting the USA that inevitably blows my diet. After the last visit I resorted to intermittent fasting to lose faster and more surely. I think my set point had been moved. Intermittent fasting will enable more splurges of course.

 

Living in Pattaya, it's easy to lose track of time, but I've been on low-carb for maybe 10 years. When I first touted it here, I was greeted by the usual chorus of sneers from our commentards. Hard to overcome the brainwashing that had become conventional wisdom. It's been gratifying to see its wide acceptance, and I'm happy that some have affirmed I've been the influence that started them on their own programs.

 

Edited October 1, 2016 by JSixpack

[Alive]

Pattaya and downtown Bangkok aren't as bad as outside the urban areas. If you have a kitchen, a barbecue and normal size fridge that makes a difference as well. That chicken they sell has at least a little sugar on it no doubt. I've done LC for three months here and lost but to really live that lifestyle it ain't easy without the things I mentioned. Urban areas have everything so that's a blessing for those who choose to live there.

[JSixpack]

2 hours ago, Alive said:

Pattaya and downtown Bangkok aren't as bad as outside the urban areas. If you have a kitchen, a barbecue and normal size fridge that makes a difference as well. That chicken they sell has at least a little sugar on it no doubt. I've done LC for three months here and lost but to really live that lifestyle it ain't easy without the things I mentioned. Urban areas have everything so that's a blessing for those who choose to live there.

 

True, the mod cons are helpful. I'm a terrible cook; hate cooking, in fact, so boring. I mean, one can be reading TV instead, right?

 

But you can survive on a lot less than you might think. A hot plate (can be gas) & a couple of pans, a small blender perhaps, a microwave; a small fridge, very helpful for storing milk, veggies, meat, and--frozen blueberries or strawberries if you can get them. That stuff will fit on a table or on the floor. No fridge, go to the local market every morning same as Thais do.

 

So cooking is just cutting up some veggies for a salad and microwaving a piece of chicken; you're done in 15 min. How tough is that? You can do a helluva lotta simple cooking in a microwave. Throw some Italian seasoning & EVOO on the salad & call it dressing. Slow cookers are easy to deal with but I have no patience. You can speed things up enormously with a pressure cooker (electric or manual), SO easy to use for a LOT of dishes.

 

Eggs--great food. I got a microwave egg cooker. Canned tuna in water--stores forever!

 

Not telling you anything I haven't managed. Now you can make arrangements w/ food vendors to lay off the sugar in their *som tam, BBQ, etc. Explain that you're a diabetic and sugar might kill you; if so, then they're gonna miss you (sniff!). You gotta diet, poor you. May take a time or two, but gradually you can have preferred food vendors doing things your way. Tips help. As a said, if you've got rid of the other carbs, like rice, noodles etc. then a little isn't going to hurt much. After you get to your ideal weight, you can gradually loosen up and see how many carbs you can ingest w/o the weight starting to creep up again.

 

To me, the hardest part is eating with Thais. They universally don't understand low carb (though I did persuade one with astonishing success) and are a bad influence. Telling them you're a diabetic is probably the easiest way for them to accept your weirdness.

 

Good luck!

Edited October 1, 2016 by JSixpack

[damo]

On 27 August 2014 at 5:16 PM, Wrong Turn said:

I assume many of us have seen part of this:

"Sugar: the bitter truth."

This is the long version but there is a short 30 minute version that is very well done.

 

 

I watched all of this presentation and was gob smacked, Lustig presents the issue by incorporating the history, the politics and most importantly the factual biochemical reasons fructose is leading people to live a physically poor lives. I will definitly be looking into more of his work. Thanks for sharing WT.

[tifino]

wish I could fix this - not being able to properly embed YT vids,

but here's more about Nature's Revenge:

 

 

https://youtu.be/SZZrIy5JPMY

[LongTimeLurker]

On 8/26/2014 at 4:40 PM, doggie888888 said:

I heard about him and a separate earlier research by another scientist that was buried by big food businesses. There is a you tube presentation titled Sugar: The Bitter Truth.

 

Also look for a recent movie "That Sugar Movie"