Fat Chance : The Bitter Truth About Sugar by Robert Lustig

Robert Lustig writes that it’s sugar, not fat, that is the major cause of obesity. Lustig is a paediatric doctor who specialises in treating overweight children in San Francisco.

Yoga can help you maintain a healthy weight and help overweight people to lose weight. There is some research to support this. I think that one of the ways that yoga does this is by making you more aware of your body and health and helping you to make healthier choices. I have noticed that if I eat sugary foods, at times like Christmas it makes me feel hungry even when I am not. I did not fully understand why this happened but was curious. This book more than answered the questions I had.

Fat Chance: The bitter truth about sugar explores the role of the hormone insulin, in weight gain. Insulin causes energy to be stored in fat cells. Robert Lustig is talking mostly about the molecule fructose. Fructose is one of the two molecules found in sucrose, the other is glucose. Robert Lustig argues that a calorie is not a calorie. He explains a calorie from fructose is much harder for the body to breakdown, especially if there is not enough fibre in the diet. He reviews a number of diets which have been successful in promoting health and maintaining healthy weight. He concludes that what these diets have in common is that they are high in fibre and low in sugar.

Surprisingly to me, he also talks about fruit juice. We usually think of fruit juice as being healthy. Robert Lustig that it supplies the body with a big dose of fructose. Fruit is also high in fructose. Whole fruit contains fibre which slows down the metabolism of fructose. This makes fruit a healthy choice. He says that one of the major problems is that people drink too much sugar, be it in fruit juice or soda.

So what does he think we should I eat?

Lustig recommends we eat real food. There is no need to go on a fad diets, just eat wholefoods. He says that that this is a dose dependent problem. A little sugar is fine and if you are a healthy weight and very active it may even be beneficial. The problem is that for many people processed foods and sugary drinks have become the norm.

Is sugar addictive?

Lustig likens sugar to other drugs. He presents a strong argument for how it messes people’s hormones up so much that they eat more of it and more food in general. His explanations are great for explaining the difficult cycle that many people struggling with their weight find themselves in. He also offers some advice that will help most people get on track.

What are his tips for food shopping?

1. Don’t go shopping hungry. Doh! Been there 😉

2. Shop in the periphery of the supermarket, buy real food.

3. It shouldn’t need a nutritional label. Eat processed foods in moderation.

4. Real food spoils. This is good. If bacteria can digest it so can you.

5. Watch out for hidden sugar. Lots of foods you don’t expect contain sugar.

It is hard if not impossible to completely give up sugar. As with many things moderation and common sense are key. Personally I like to occasionally give myself a complete break from it, just to make sure I am not becoming a sugar addict 😉

Would I recommend the book?

I really enjoyed this book because it was backed up with lots of research and scientific explanation. I think it is an important book and I am glad he wrote it. I think it just depends how much you want to learn about nutrition. I think it may be too in-depth for some people’s interest.

You can also check out Robert Lustig youtube videos if you want to learn more.

Are you addicted to sugar? Have you ever given it up?