12 March 2013 - FAB EVENT - London - SUGAR, FAT AND THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS - A Symposium with Professor Robert Lustig MD

This event has now taken place.

Programme and Abstracts:

A document with the programme, speaker details and abstracts, summarising the content of the day's presentations may be downloaded at the link below.

About the event:

FAB Research was proud to have hosted the first visit to the UK by Professor Robert Lustig MD of the University of California, a specialist in endocrinology and pediatric obesity who is internationally renowned for his research into the hormonal and other effects of dietary sugar.

This special symposium offered a unique opportunity to hear Professor Lustig explain the evidence behind his view that sugar – not dietary fat – is the primary driver of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and many other serious health problems, including mental health disorders.  All of these diseases are associated with various hormonal and metabolic abnormalities known as ‘the metabolic syndrome’, which develops gradually over time and is known to be diet-related.

If Professor Lustig is right, then most of the public health advice aimed at reducing obesity and related chronic health conditions over the last forty years has had the wrong emphasis, because the ‘low-fat’ diets typically recommended for weight loss and heart health are almost always high in sugar and other refined carbohydrates.

Delegates were presented with the latest scientific evidence, and were given an opportunity to ask their own questions and take part in a discussion with a panel of eminent speakers and commentators, all of whom are experts in their respective fields.  

What was discussed:

• Why have obesity rates risen so dramatically in recent years – and why does this matter so much?
• Has ‘healthy eating’ advice inadvertently been making matters worse?
• What’s the evidence that mental health conditions such as ADHD and dementia may be diet-related?
•  ‘Eating less and exercising more’ sounds very simple – so why do most people find it very difficult to lose excess weight and keep it off?
• Which fats really are unhealthy, and which ones can actually reduce your risk of most degenerative diseases?
• Is sugar really toxic and addictive – and if so, what can we do about it?