So far on UCTV Prime’s “The Skinny on Obesity,” Dr. Robert Lustig and his UCSF colleagues have alerted us to the monumental scale of the obesity epidemic (it’s not just America anymore) and the primary culprit (overly abundant sugar). By now you’re probably thinking, “Yeah, yeah. Isn’t this just another diet trend we’ll all forget about when the next big fad comes along?”
Perhaps you’ll change your tune after watching the third episode in the 7-part series, “Hunger and Hormones – A Vicious Cycle,” in which Dr. Lustig asserts that the cause of widespread obesity isn’t just about diet — or exercise for that matter. It’s about the body’s biochemical reaction to the “global industral diet,” something that science is just now able to understand. Within their grasp, Lustig says, is “the Holy Grail of obesity research” that provides a scientific rationale for why, in the last 30 years, such large segments of the population become obese at record high rates.
Contrary to common belief, Lustig argues, it’s not caused by a sudden onslought of gluttonous, lazy citizens, but the chronic failure of a hormone that’s supposed to tell your body when it’s time to stop eating. Episode three of “The Skinny on Obesity” offers a swift, visual overview of the vicious cycle of consumption, weight gain and disease. You won’t want to miss it.