Sunday evening I was watching 60 Minutes…
Ok, let me stop there. In the spirit of full disclosure, I was getting ready to watch the ACM awards and 60 minutes happen to be on.
I was busy getting dinner ready and fully prepared not to even glance at the TV until Reba and Blake took the stage, but something caught my attention.
Sugar is TOXIC.
60 Minutes dedicated a full segment to researching a claim that sugar is behind much of America’s health epidemic. Dr. Lustig, featured on the segment, is a pediatric endocrinologist at The University of California, San Francisco. He highlights the fact that the movement in the early 1980’s to get Americans to cut out fat was an epic failure. When companies took fat out of food, they replaced in with sugar and now Americans are fatter and unhealthier than ever.
Lustig goes on to argue that, despite what many nutritionists say, a calorie is not a calorie because different nutrients have different roles within the body and that they evoke different responses in our brains.
The full segment (which is worth watching in its entirety HERE if you have the time) vilifies sugar. It shows research that cancer feeds on sugar and that too much sugar overwhelms the liver, which converts it into fat (LDL) and releases it into the blood stream bringing about heart disease and a plethora of other related health issues.
Though I certainly believe in and support the message (I’d say I drink the kool-aid, but that would be all wrong in this discussion), my only problem with the segment lies in the absolute that all sugar is evil.
Personally, I believe Americans are getting WAY too much sugar, especially in the form of HFCS, processed foods and sugary drinks.
However, I tend to shy away from extremes. No sugar, ever, is unrealistic. Even if you said no to desserts for the rest of your life, sugars would find their way into your diet through sauces, soups, dressings, etc. In fact, I think it’s the “sneaky” sugars that are causing most of the problems. People know they can say no to a brownie and reduce their sugar intake, but not many people realize the marinara sauce on their whole wheat pasta could be comprised of mostly sugar.
My thoughts on the matter can be summed up by my favorite mantra by Michael Pollan: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. To me, the secret to changing the direction of our nation’s health future is not to vilify a single substance, but to start a movement towards eating whole, unprocessed foods. We need to retrain our taste buds to know and enjoy real foods, not science experiments designed to make us crave more junk.
So, that’s my plan. I will continue making my family’s meals from whole foods and avoiding as many processed foods as possible. However, I will also continue to have foods on hand for situations when I need something quick to eat. I won’t be tossing out my favorite soup because sugar is an ingredient. In fact, I love this soup because I recognize every ingredient listed, and if sugar happens to be one of them, well, then that’s why it’s only an occasional food around these parts 
Did you see the segment?
What did you think?
Is sugar to blame for obesity?
Lisa says
I saw the segment and honestly it made me panic, even though my thoughts on food, and eating habits, are quite similar to yours! I am happy to read your reasoned response, and I try to keep in mind that segments like this was are 1) sensationalized to make good tv; and 2) are geared toward making those (many) Americans that have a diet high in processed, unhealthy foods, more aware. That is certainly not me.
Brittany says
They do a great job of making the information fit for tv, because my first reaction is always panic, too! I always try to take a minute afterwards to digest the information and I always end up calming down 🙂
Adria @ The Sparkles Diaries says
So true! I am a sweets kind of gal and decided last week that I would cut back on my sugar intake. At first, I did feel well going through sugar withdrawal but now I feel fantastic. And honestly, it is in part thanks to you! Your lifestyle is very motivating. Why just this weekend, I sat looking at the restaurant menu and thinking of how you would order a meal containing fish. Well guess what? I did too!
Brittany says
Isn’t it crazy that there is actually withdrawal symptoms when you quite excess sugar or fast food? I remember going through it years ago (almost 6- wow!) when I quit diet coke. Thanks so much for the kind words and I’m so glad you’re feeling fantastic now!
Megan says
I haven’t watched the segment yet, but it sounds as if the very message Lustig is attempting to present is actually the reason for obesity. As in: people see things like this in the media, go all crazy and cut out every last bit of sugar (or fat, or carbs, or whatever is “in” to take out of your diet). Two weeks later, they’re bingeing on cartons of doughnuts, cookies, candy, and right back where they started.
Presenting health information in terms of extremes seems to be at least part of the reason for the obesity epidemic. I agree with you – have that candy bar once in a while, but just stick to one!
Brittany says
I totally agree! I remember meeting with a client who wouldn’t eat bananas because they were “bad” and high in sugar, but had no problem grabbing a chicken biscuit. Too much conflicting information is really confusing to most people. I wish we’d focus on what is good to eat, rather than saying that one substance is the root of all the trouble.
Liz @ IHeartVegetables says
I think the whole “not all calories are created equal” thing is interesting. I’ve been such a calorie counter for so much of my life, and it’s almost SCARY to think that it’s more complex than that. But it really is. I’m trying to cut out diet soda (it’s a rough road!)
Brittany says
I used to be an avid calorie counter, too, so I understand! But I think the problem comes when people think they are being “good” by eating 1200 calories a day and not caring that all 1200 came from processed 100 calorie cracker packs (AKA, no nutrient value whatsoever)
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen says
First of all, I love the little “moment of honesty” there…clearly, if I had TV anymore, I would also be watching the ACMs. (60 Minutes still seems like a show for Papa Smart. I’m not THAT mature.)
I am totally with you. Michael Pollan sums it up best, and I’m trying to be better about living along that mantra. I must say, I “fall off the wagon” a lot and consume way too much sugar all at once. But I feel it, and I know I need to cut back. I think that the added sugars CAN pile up, but if we–the people who are generally healthy eaters–start freaking out too much about it, we’ll drive ourselves crazy.
Brittany says
Everyone falls off the wagon! Except I fall off the chips and salsa wagon 😉 That’s what drives me nutty about listening to Taylor talk about diet. She always talks about needing to buckle down and eat egg whites all day. I wish she’d take a balanced approach and show people it can be done. We should take over COSMO studios one day and chat with her and K 🙂
Lauren B. says
Totally agree with you. It’s wise to recognize the role that sugar plays and make better choices based on the evidence, but we shouldn’t drive ourselves to extremes. We would miss out on so many wonderful and nutritious things like fruit, nature’s candy!!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
I saw the same segment, and I’ve also been reading about sugar in various books. It does freak me out, because I love sugar, but I also have to remind myself that I’m not eating the amounts that typical Americans are eating. I agree with you … I’m trying to eat even more whole, unprocessed foods, but I’m also not going to freak out every time I have something containing sugar. I just need to make sure that the majority of my diet is the good stuff.
Chloe (In Fine Feather) says
Everything in moderation, right?
I don’t eat meat because of ethical & health reasons – but I do drink a diet coke everyday, so it all evens out 😉
I also think the media grabs hold of something & runs with it. Case in point: the pink slime story. Gross & not something we want in our food but it’s safe & not harmful (so they say) but people are still in an uproar because abc news aired that segment.
Brittany says
I know, the news always sensationalizes stories and scares the fool out of everyone! They aren’t exactly helping with obesity and health problems by having a new nutritional “villian” every week.
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
I didn’t see the segment but I feel the same way with you that it shouldn’t be completely banished (totally unrealistic). Like you say, sugar is in so many foods we don’t even think about. I could never give up sugar completely. I think everything in moderation, and like you said, eat healthy whole foods. That will help a lot!
What bugs me though, is when people use all these fake sugars/artificial sweeteners. I really don’t believe that fake sugars are in anyway more healthy than regular sugar. Again, it just goes with everything in moderation.
Brittany says
Oh, absolutely! I am much more a fan of the real stuff. I used to be the Equal queen, but now I’d much rather eat some real sugar than whatever is in the man-made substitute.
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
I have not seen the segment, but I really want to watch it when I have time. I’m like you – I’m not into “extremes”, but I have definitely heard that cancer thrives off of sugar. I think for me, I’m going to keep avoiding overly processed foods and watch my sugar intake like I always have!
Heidi Bundles Of Hugs says
I’ve seen Dr. Lustig’s lecture on sugar and its mind blowing, especially the data. Its actually quite sad how much sugar people are consuming. We love our sweets but moderation is key. And education too! I’m actually off the watch the rest of the segment since I only was able to get half way through it.
Brittany says
I want to find time to watch his whole lecture; I hear it’s great! I like his message, but like you, I think we need to educate people, especially focusing on what people should eat instead of scaring them about what they shouldn’t.
Lisa says
I saw the segment as well and I think it is a huge problem in our society today, just because with the fat-free craze everything has added sugar. BUT, I feel with this attention on sugar now company’s will be exploiting sugar-free things now and add aspartame and in my opinion that can be even worse for you! It has been linked to many horrible things as well, even death. So maybe this is like the “scary fat” thing allll over again. Just a new target. I think we just need to be aware of consuming anything in excess. Moderation is key!
Brittany says
Absolutely! I’m a fan of eating REAL food, so I’d much rather eat something made with sugar than something filled with man made substitutes. I totally agree with you.
Tina @ Best Body Fitness says
I really do think sugar is addictive and that there is WAY too much in our diets. Companies know it’s addictive so add it liberally. It’s hidden in so many things! And I’m with you in thinking that’s the biggest culprit.
I know I couldn’t completely abolish sugar from my diet (c’mon now! haha!) but it’s also something that I know I can work on as well. I like your game plan.
Maria says
I did not see the segment (BUT, full disclosure, I did watch the ACM awards!). Ahh, country music (besides Red Solo Cup – muted that part) makes me so happy.
This veers a bit off topic….I agree that we (standard American Diet) consume way too much sugar, but I think the trend is also leaning towards so much FAKE sugar as well. I know, because I used to be one of them. Splenda in this, Aspartame in that. I’ve been trying on and off to cut my Diet Coke habit. Diet Cokes with fake sugar does not fill me up. A real coke, made with real sugar though does. As do cookies with real sugar. Sugar free cookies do not fill me up. So I can easily see America becoming more addicted to fake sugar rather than real sugar, which I feel is fine in moderation and necessary for my psychological well-being 🙂
Karlee says
i didn’t see the segment but sugar is my main culprit. i think i eat mostly healthy except for my sweets. i eat “sweets” everyday. usuallly a bit of dark chocolate, and lately i’ve been buying sugar free (from TJ’s, it’s actually good!). but i also like cookies and cookie butter and anything sweet really. it makes me nervous bc i have a serious sweet tooth, and diabetes runs in my family. i know i can’t and don’t need to cut it all out, but i need to be a little more mindful of my sugar.
Kristy @ Breath of Sunshine says
Restocked our pantry too – $188 at Traders Joes. Ouch!
Carolynn says
My brother gained a lot of weight during the years after high school, mainly due to poor eating habits established when his metabolism was off the charts high and a sudden decrease in activity. He was one of those people who ran 10+ miles 6 days a week and then suddenly he was sedentary, yet still eating the same junk he ate when he was 16! Needless to say, he started packing on the pounds until soon, I hardly recognized him.
One day he woke up and decided “I’m through with this” (ok I doubt it was exactly like that lol) and embarked on a ketogenic diet. I have heard many, many people denounce the keto and Atkins diets (including my professors who teach my nutrition classes)…yet I have seen first hand how good it can be! My brother lost all of the weight and is at his cross country weight. He now has slowly introduced natural sugars back into his diet and has been maintaining his weight for about 6 months.
I do believe that fat has been vilified, and for people like my mom who dieted a lot in the 80s (thank you, baby weight!), it has been hard to make the transition away from anti-fat. I hope that sugar doesn’t become the same way but I would love if all of America woke up and smelled the unrefined sugar filled coffee and stopped eating that junk! However, very low carb diets CAN work and they CAN be successful. They are not ideal in the long term, because your body does need a balanced diet, but if they help someone go from being overweight/obese to a healthier weight, then so be it!
Sig says
Definitely!! It’s so good to see the amount of attention sugar is finally getting….
I quit sugar at the start of the year and have never felt better. There’s plenty of research that debunk the fat myth and actually points out the cause of a lot of our weight and health problems to the over consumption of sugar in our diet.
What they talk about is the ‘fructose’ part of sugar which basically bypasses the liver which would normally convert it to energy and gets stored as fat. Also, there is actually no molecule in our body that recognizes when we eat fructose – so it doesn’t tell us when we get full from it. Ever eaten a whole bunch of fruit or a large juice or a block of chocolate and felt full? An hour later you’re hungry again.
Which is oversimplifying it, but it then leads to a whole host of problems – one of it being that eating sugar makes you want to eat more sugar.
I think a lot of people don’t realise that despite even eating ‘healthy’ sugar ie agave, dates, maple syrup – even fruit – chemically it’s still sugar and still fructose (normal white sugar is typically 50% fructose/50% glucose).
I think people need to be informed about it and make the decisions themselves – it’s relative. Quitting drinking Coke is so much better for you then quitting apples for example.
A book I’d recommend is by a fellow Aussie – David Gillespie – “Sweet Poison”. I followed a 8-week quit-sugar plan (blogged about it too! :D) and lost weight, my skin cleared, I had more energy and BEST of all – NO BLOATING !!:D 😀
Lisa says
Sig thanks for the info. I am totally getting this book. I’ve been a sugar addict all my life ever since I was a kid ( now 48) and still struggle with sugar addiction. I have gone off sugar several times before, for a period of time,but all it takes is one slip and it pulls me back in like quick sand. By quitting sugar I mean candy and processed food. I know there is sugar in condiments and a host of other things. I am currently on a health quest to feel better and once again have cut out or limited my sugar and also gluten. It is hard as hell but after about 5 days the cravings get weaker. I always feel so much better when I’m off these two things. No bloating or gas and body feels a lot better but they are both very addictive and if I give in the cravings come back. I don’t beat myself up anymore though. if I really want a piece of bread or sweet I will have it (not too often) and then get back on track but it’s hard so I’m trying to stay away. Yes, I also heard sugar in excess can cause health problems and yes it’s a known fact that cancer feeds on sugar. Also, in excess can cause Candida which also feeds on sugar. Brittany thanks so much for your blog!
blackhuff says
Thank you for sharing the link
Laurie says
I didn’t see the segment but may watch it soon. I do think sugar is a BIG problem. It is for me anyway – but I don’t think it’s an all or nothing thing – just that we need to seriously cut back on how much sugar most of us eat. Thanks for the info!
jen says
Over the weekend I watched that “Hungry for Change” movie, and that solidified a decision I’d made earlier, that I wanted to make April a sugar free month. (Fruit is fine, though!) Then, when I heard about the 60 Minutes segment I watched it online and found it very interesting.
Yes, sugar was vilified and it was extreme, but the Doc did say that 100 grams of added sugar per day for women and 150 grams of added sugar per day for men was okay, so I think that leaves room for people to still eat some things that are sweetened with sugar or are flat out sweets without feeling deprived.
I know that I feel great on my 5th day without sugar and my cravings are way, way less, and it feels good. I actually feel freer instead of restricted. Will I go off sugar forever and ever? I doubt it, because, as you said, it’s in everything and it would be hard to keep that up forever. But I do hope to limit my sugar intake for the long term, because it doesn’t really have any upsides, you know? (Okay, it tastes good, but so does fruit and so do sweet potatoes and so do scrambled eggs!)
Kathy says
Thank you so much for sharing the LINK. It is so helpful. And I agree I could not give up sugar intirely but everything in moderation. It will help me think twice before grabbing a handful of jelly beans this weekend. I do believe sugar is evil.
Have a wonderful Easter!
Michael S. says
Yes, I saw the segment. Before that I read a book by Gary Taubes that convinced me that the reason that I couldn’t lose weight was because I was one of the many people who are sensitive to sugar. He argues that sugar causes problem with the body’s hunger mechanism. Too much sugar in the diet and you’re alway hungry.
Now I’m on the Atkins diet and I’ve lost about 50 lbs. And I’m not hungry all the time like I was on other diets.