Sugar: The Bitter Truth | Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin.

The takeaway from this talk is that the percentage of fructose and sucrose as a fundamental part of the American diet has increased in the last 30 years, and can be directly correlated to our being heaveir.  That is, the entire population. And we continue to feed our kids foods that are extremely high in sugar, which is as toxic to our livers as alcohol because it is metabolized exactly the same way in our livers.  (Alcohol is also metabolized in the brain, producing the buzz.)  We would never hand our kids a can of beer, yet we’re perfectly willing to hand them a can of Coke.