Obesity Series on YouTube

On UCTV Prime's new series, The Skinny on Obesity, Robert Lustig, MD, and two of his University of California at San Francisco colleagues tease out the science behind his claim that overindulgence in sugar is not only fueling America’s obesity problem, but also a dire threat to global public health.

The seven-part documentary series premieres Friday, April 13, on UCTV Prime, which is a YouTube original channel, with a new episode being shown every Friday. Video and bonus content are available at http://www.uctv.tv/skinny-on-obesity.

Throughout the series, Lustig, a UCSF pediatric endocrinologist, and his colleagues Elissa Epel and Barbara Laraia, co-directors of the UCSF Center for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment (COAST), unpack the scientific and sociological factors that have contributed to the startling rise in obesity rates over the last 30 years.

Featuring interviews, charts and graphic visualizations, the six- to 10-minute episodes provide a comprehensive perspective on an issue that affects everyone.

This series is a follow up to Lustig’s Sugar: The Bitter Truth, also shown on the UCTV channel, where he asserts that sugar is is a major contributor tothe global obesity epidemic. That video first appeared in 2009, went viral with over 2.2 million views, and sparked a national dialogue, including coverage in the New York Times and on 60 Minutes.

Here is the schedule for The Skinny on Obesity:

April 13 - An Epidemic for Every Body

How did we get so fat, so fast? The debut episode debunks the theory that obesity only affects the "gluttons and sloths;" this public health problem impacts everyone.

April 20 - Sickeningly Sweet

Lustig illustrates the overabundance of sugar in today's processed convenience foods and explains how our bodies metabolize sugars in the same way as alcohol or other toxins, causing damage to the liver and other organs.

April 27 - Hunger and Hormones: A Vicious Cycle

Sugar impacts the brain just as much as the waistline. In this episode,. Lustig explains the biochemical shifts that sugar causes, making us store fat and feel hungry at the same time.

May 4 - Sugar: A Sweet Addiction

Sugar isn't just sweet, it's addictive. This episode explores the cycle of addiction that sugar causes in the brain, much in the same way as drugs and alcohol.

May 11 - Generation XL

An unnerving trend of obese infants is just one indication that obesity can be passed on from mother to fetus. This installment looks towards the next generation, with an emphasis on preventive care and pre-natal health.

May 18 - A Fast-Paced, Fast Food Life

The pace of modern life is a key contributor to today's obesity epidemic. Elissa Epel and Barbara Laraia explain the connection and offer practical and effective solutions that don't involve dieting and exercise.

May 25 - Drugs, Cigarettes, Alcohol...and Sugar?

Our experts offer a frank indictment of the country's agricultural policy and food industry, which have made it nearly impossible to avoid sugar in our daily diet, and suggestions for possible remedies.

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Based on the UC San Diego campus, UCTV presents educational and enrichment programming from the campuses, national laboratories, and affiliated institutions of the University of California. UCTV delivers science, health and medicine, public affairs, humanities and the arts to a general audience, as well as specialized programming for health care professionals, teachers and researchers.

UCTV is available worldwide via live stream, video archives and podcasting at http://www.uctv.tv, on YouTube, on iTunesU in the Beyond Campus section, and on cable in select cities throughout California.

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