[quote]MODOK wrote:
If anyone is interested,( and I think a few people in tis thread should be ) this is a tremendous primer on fructose metabolism versus glucose metabolism by one of my old preceptors. Dr. Lustig is a great guy, and one of the most intelligent people that I know. This is a very popular lecture that he gave a few years ago. I highly recommend watching it all if you have 90 minutes. If you just want to get to the metabolic pathways skip to about the 42 minute mark. He is a kooky guy with some of his beliefs on governmental regulation, but that does not detract from the excellent science presentation that he gives.
Sugar: The Bitter Truth - YouTube [/quote]
I liked the video. I liked the beginning and end more than the parts specifically about fructose. I have some criticism about the studies he used. I don’t know for sure, but I got the feeling that he was misrepresenting the conclusions of certain studies, or at least exaggerating for emphasis. However, he did convince me that fructose is worse than the other sugars in theory, or on paper. I don’t know enough about fructose, but I’ll research more after seeing the video. I dont think that obesity would be solved if all fructose (which is in fruit) were eliminated. I don’t think that’s even what the lecturer was saying. I believe he was saying his issues with fructose combined with increased calorie intake leads to obesity.
His point was that increased sugar consumption, especially drinkable sugar, causes obesity. According to the lecturer, soda is one of the cheapest sources of calories. Soda is now widely available in third world countries. Meat is a luxury item and soda is the new staple crop. In the United States corn is subsidized as a form of job protection for unneeded farmers. Meanwhile, meat is becoming more and more expensive, especially in Western countries such as Britain, which don’t have large scale farming. People in third world countries used to live healthfully off a diet a grain and a small amount of fruit or meat. Now, people in the third world, and low income areas of Westernized countries are living off of fatty meats, cheap canola-type oils, and sugar water. They are unable to regulate their intake. This is caused by a lack of self control and education. But, it’s also caused by a Western consumption culture, and the new prices of food.
Frankly, I agree with the lecturer that the problem is cultural, socio-economic, and political. Like the lecturer said, the worst part of everything is first generation children are being raised to become fat. There are fat toddlers - it’s very sad. Those children have no choice when it comes to being fat. The government is going to have to pay for heart surgery for those children when they grow up. Meanwhile, politicians are subsidizing corn farmers. WIC is giving out baby formula for free, instead of advocating breast feeding.
Morbid obesity is now common in non-Western countries, and with immigrants to the USA and Britain, and it’s not entirely their fault. There are immigrants in the United States who don’t know that eating a lot causes obesity. Many think obesity is caused by a literal curse. They think if they eat a lot of fruits (which many do, because it’s cheap), or if they take a lot of herbal vitamins (which many do), they won’t become obese or develop diabetes. Many Americans don’t understand calories in, calories out either. But, obesity because of a lack of education is a pandemic among immigrants to Western countries, and low income areas of those countries.
Obesity has gone from being a disease of the rich, to a disease of the poor. What’s required isn’t making food more expensive, but basic education about what causes obesity: too many calories. A government based basic education plan would save the public health care systems in the United States, Britain, and other EU countries a lot of money in the long term.