Sweet Revenge: Turning the Tables on Processed Food

Millions of Americans are sick, while untold numbers aren't even aware of it, according to Dr. Robert H. Lustig, pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of the bestselling Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease. In a TED talk–style presentation before an attentive studio gathering, Lustig describes metabolic syndrome, the deadly cocktail of high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, and bad cholesterol that can affect even people who are slender and apparently fit. This situation is a direct result of the “standard American diet,” which is loaded with fat, sugar, and refined starches, a combination that can lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease—cirrhosis without the alcohol. Lustig implores his audience to curtail fast food, avoid products with a long ingredient list, shop the produce sections located on the supermarket perimeter, and make nutritious, high-fiber, satisfying meals from scratch at home. Eye-opening statistics include the fact that sugar can be defined as any one of 56 ingredients, and nutrition labels will often list two or more in order to keep “sugar” from being first or second. Lustig's disarming, folksy, down-to-earth approach helps make his tough medicine go down, and he ultimately reminds viewers that eating well is the best revenge against some major potential health problems. DVD extras include an extended Q&A with Lustig. Recommended. Aud: P. (F. Gardner)