Dr. Robert H.Lustig | The Obesity Epidemic in America | Nahmad Speaker Series

Baptist Health
Baptist Health
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Published 2016-10-07
[Transcript]
[Al & Jane Nahmad]
[Speaker Series: Thought Leaders in Medicine]
[Neuroendocrinologist and Professor of Pediatrics]
Robert H. Lustig, M.D.:
Everybody familiar with Einstein's theory of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Well, we've been doing the same thing over and over again now for the past 35 years. And there is no different result, and it's time to rethink the paradigm. It's time to rethink what has happened to our society, what has happened to medical care, what has happened to our food. And that is what today is about. And I'm going to try to give you some reasons to rethink it. Y.
[Robert giving speech]
Robert H. Lustig:
Dr. Zephyr said I was a thought leader. I would rather say I was a flame thrower. I hope that when we're done, I will have completely decimated the previous nutritional architecture that we have put in place in favor of one that actually works. So let's start.
[Obesity is the problem?]
Robert H. Lustig:
Here's the past. 2001, 13 years ago, six million kids are seriously overweight. Well, with all of the media attention, with all of the clinical programs, with all of the changes in healthcare and daycare, with all of the medications available with bariatric surgery being done in children, with Michelle Obama's vegetable gardens, we are now up to 20 million.
[Inclusive view of obesity and metabolic dysfunction]
Robert H. Lustig:
Here's the present. Currently, there are 30% more obese people walking the planet than there are undernourished people. 371 million diabetics wandering the planet at 6% of the world's population, and they are chewing through all the healthcare resources. There's no money for anything else. So much so that the UN Secretary General Bon Ki-moon three years ago, declared that non-communicable disease was now a bigger problem for the developing world than was the developed world, including HIV.
[Graph and newspaper of growing obesity rates]
Robert H. Lustig:
But here's the future if we do nothing. Experts predict 165 million Americans, 42% will be obese by 2030. 100 million Americans will have diabetes by 2050, one third of the US population. But it really won't matter because Medicare will be broke by the year 2026.
Robert H. Lustig:
So here's the issue. People think, "Oh, this is because doctors bills are so high or hospital costs are so much. Or if big pharma is charging so much." Well there are the three of them and there's the increase that's going on. This isn't going to hospitals or physicians or big pharma or infrastructure. This is going to chronic metabolic disease. That's where this money is going. It's about obesity. Is it?
Robert H. Lustig:
Obesity is increasing worldwide at the rate of 1% per year. Yet diabetes is increasing worldwide at the rate of 4% per year. If diabetes were just a subset of obesity, how could you explain that? Well, you can't because it ain't true because obesity is not the problem. People don't die of obesity. It's not even listed on the death certificate. It's not even a cause of death.
Robert H. Lustig:
Here's what we're talking about. We're talking about metabolic syndrome and this is where all the money goes. 75% of all healthcare dollars go to the treatment of the diseases of metabolic syndrome. And here's the list. Each one of these is a chronic metabolic disease, including cancer and dementia. Diabetes being the hallmark one that we have the most data on and that's the one that's gone through the roof. The question is what's happened?
Robert H. Lustig:
So this is the most important set of slides I'm going to show you because if this doesn't make the point, nothing will.
Robert H. Lustig:
Here's a Venn diagram of the US adult population, 240 million adults, 30% obese, 70% normal weight. That is BMI anywhere from 18 to 30. Everybody got it?
Robert H. Lustig:
The standard mantra from everyone is the following: 80% of that 30%, 80% of the obese people are sick. They get type two diabetes. They get hypertension. They get dyslipidemia. They get cardiovascular disease. They get cancer. They get dementia. That 80% of 30%, those 57 million people, they're the problem. They're costing us the money. They are gluttons and sloths. And if they would only just diet and exercise, we could solve this problem. That's what everyone says.
Robert H. Lustig:
Garbage, complete, and utter trash. How? How come? Here's why? Yeah, 80% of the obese population is sick. No question. That means 20% aren't. 20% of the obese population are metabolically healthy, known as the metabolically healthy obese. They will live a completely normal life. Die at a completely normal age, not cost the taxpayer a dime. They're just fat.


[End Transcript]
All Comments (20)
  • @bigwatt2680
    I've been a diabetic since 1998 and have followed the traditional treatment and they don't work. Since listening and following Doctor's like Dr. Lustig not only has may health improved but the weight has drop as well so my advice is listen with a open mind, you might learn something and help someone live longer and healthier.
  • @Magnulus76
    That post 1960's growth in obesity also correlates with the rise of soft drinks and processed snack foods.
  • @cteater
    Such a difference from the "common wisdom" (ironic term) that we receive from a myriad of sources. This explanation makes sense. Thank you for your dedication to getting your message to the public.
  • @chim-choo-ree
    Repeating "Einstein said: 'The definition of "insanity" is doing the same thing over and over again...'" doesn't change the fact that he never said, and that it's not the definition of "insanity." That out of the way, good work, Dr. Lustig. You're an inspiration.
  • @emmagoodwin3198
    Loved this video! Such truth! I love how every time he debunked a myth or idea he said “garbage” I just thought it was so funny.
  • @callitasyoulike
    You walk through a store about 2/3 is garbage. You watch ads on any plattform and 2/3 is ads for garbage.
  • @pauldonnelly3179
    He veers into fat logic a bit here. Firstly he's classing anyone of a BMI 18-30 as 'normal weight' when this is not true. The normal weight he's using includes overweight people in the 25-30 range, who are certainly not thin. The crux is body fat. He comes near to touching on it but then backs off. Excess body fat especially visceral, is the cause & consequence of metabolic disease - being associated with lifestyle factors like an unhealthy diet high in sugar & low physical activity. It's just that the risk of excess body fat probably starts at fairly low levels (probably even at BMIs in the higher end of normal). The risk then increases as you get towards the obese, but not as linearly as thought. So someone of a 27/28 BMI with low muscle and excess body fat is probably not that much lower risk than someone of a 30 BMI. Depends on genetics as to how long the body can tolerate it. But please note that most obese people even if not diabetic display some form of insulin resistance
  • @Htrevor100
    Is personal responsibility....yes we should stop of buying processed rubbish food, cut down with sugar and juice of fruit, and send this food corporations to the trash
  • @small_fries7573
    It is alright to be concern or not know about what happens after this life. Fortunately there's a way to not suffer, not be in danger, not be poor, not get hurt, not have to work in vain, not have to feel any kind of negative vibe, and not to get tired anymore. Imagine you will be invincible, immortal, and holy with a new, upgraded body to the core! Imagine everyone around you will be the same as you. Isn't that a delightful thought? It's true you or anyone can have eternal life. All you got to do is to accept Jesus Christ 🙏 as your Savior! Once you do, He will let you into heaven during your day when you finally see Him!
  • @iforc
    His positive feelings towards Obama sure haven’t aged well.
  • @CyborgNinja7
    You have two different things here at 5:51. You have "obese and SICK" and "normal weight and METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION." What are you measuring here? What's defined as sickness? Isn't metabolic dysfunction far too broad, considering it includes cancer and dementia?
  • @SchnuckySchuster
    I don't buy in to the sugar is addictive story. I can't remember ever having craved sugar. As a matter of fact to much sugar hurts me the same as to much salt. On the other hand I quite often crave fat. Most of us are addicted to meat. It took me a year to stop eating meat and that year was very hard. The problem is that we have replaced fat with sugar because we believed fat was bad for us. We should eat more fat than carbohydrates and we would be fine. Plus we should not eat every day.
  • @Schrodinger_
    "Anybody familiar with Einstein's theory of...." oooh this guy might be well educated outside his field "...insanity?" Oh, never mind :(