S1E24 - Robert Lustig - Killing Me Softly With Sugar
We spoke with metabolic neuroendocrinologist Robert Lustig to discuss his views about the obesity crisis in our country. A powerful mind with a keen eye for digging deep into issues to explore their root causes, Lustig lays bare his critique of powerful forces at work that he believes negatively impact human health and longevity. His position is that added sugar is not a food and meets the criteria of an addictive substance like alcohol or narcotics. Addressing the physiology of metabolism, Lustig recommends lifestyle changes that, if practiced, could dramatically enhance our vitality. How did we get to this point in our obesity crisis? He emphasizes that fortunately there are corrective measures within reach, if we can muster the political will to enact them. What other “addictions” in a broad sense afflict our society? We touch on those as well. Join us.
Biography
Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L. is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and Member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF. Dr. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist, with expertise in metabolism, obesity, and nutrition. He is one of the leaders of the current “anti-sugar” movement that is changing the food industry. Dr. Lustig graduated from MIT in 1976, and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1980. He also received his Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) degree at University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2013. He is the author of the popular books Fat Chance (2012), The Hacking of the American Mind (2017), and Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine (2021). He is the Chief Science Officer of the non-profit Eat REAL, he is on the Advisory Boards of the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, the Center for Humane Technology, Simplex Health, Levels Health, and ReadOut Health, and he is the Chief Medical Officer of BioLumen Technologies, Foogal, Perfact, and Kalin Health.
Conversation Recorded on January 20, 2023