Fat Chance

Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease

By: Robert H. Lustig

Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross

Robert Lustig’s 90-minute YouTube video Sugar: The Bitter Truth has been viewed more than two million times. Now, in this much anticipated book, he documents the science and the politics that has led to the pandemic of chronic disease over the last 30 years.

In the late 1970s when the government mandated we get the fat out of our food, the food industry responded by pouring more sugar in. The result has been a perfect storm, disastrously altering our biochemistry and driving our eating habits out of our control.

To help us lose weight and recover our health, Lustig presents personal strategies to readjust the key hormones that regulate hunger, reward, and stress; and societal strategies to improve the health of the next generation. Compelling, controversial, and completely based in science, Fat Chance debunks the widely held notion to prove "a calorie is NOT a calorie", and takes that science to its logical conclusion to improve health worldwide.

©2012 Robert H. Lustig (P)2012 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"No scientist has done more in the last 50 years to alert Americans to the potential dangers of sugar in the diet than Dr. Robert Lustig.” (Gary Taubes, author of Good Calories, Bad Calories and Why We Get Fat)

“Our eating habits are killing us. In this timely and important book, Dr. Robert Lustig presents the scientific evidence for the toxicity of sugar and the disastrous effects of modern industrial food on the hormones that control hunger, satiety, and weight. He gives recommendations for a personal solution to the problem we face and also suggests a public policy solution. Fat Chance is the best book I've read on the relationship between diet and health and the clearest explanation of epidemic obesity in our society.”–Andrew Weil, MD, author of Spontaneous Happiness and You Can’t Afford to Get Sick)

“Fat Chance is THE manifesto for our time. It reveals the real reasons we why we are a fat nation and how to cure the obesity epidemic. It gets right to the root of the problem, which is not gluttony and sloth, as the food industry, government and your neighbor would have you believe. It is because we are drowning in a sea of sugar which poisons our metabolism, shrinks our brains, and threatens our national security and global competitiveness. Every American, politician, teacher, and business leader must read this book. Our nation's future depends on it.” (Mark Hyman, MD, author of The Blood Sugar Solution)

An important book

I read this at least two years ago. I began following the ideas in this book, limiting sugar, flour and processed foods. In some cases, eliminating them altogether except for special occasions (like holidays). I feel great. I'm five notches down on my belt. So it's a good thing I put off writing this review for two years. Now I need to listen to a book on procrastination.

Fantastic!

I can't wait to start revamping my diet. I finally understand what is happening in my body and mind.
I plan on getting the cookbook to help learn how to cook bettet. Thanks for a great book!

Give our kids a chance.

I thought this was an eye opener that will change my outlook on what I eat,
And why I'm eating it.

A must read for everyone

This book is a must read for about the
Food that they are putting into their mouth and into the mouths of their loved ones. It’s about time that somebody expose the true nature of the food processing industry. This book also provides excellent advice as to how you can provide that or nourishment to yourselves and how to work with the public to address Initiatives that could provide real Heath benefits for all today and in the future.

tremendous

LOVED IT . IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE EVER READ AND EXPLAINS MY GREAT NEPHEWS FOOD ISSUES. IN HIS ROOM HE HAS A LARGE TV AND NERY A TOY. I'M CERTAIN THE ADDS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS PROBLEMS. WE CAN'T GET HIM TO EAT ANY MEAT, FRUITS, VEGGIES. HOWEVER I HAVE SEEN HIM CONSUME IN ONE SITTING THE LARGEST BAG OG DORRITO'S YOU CAN BUY. NOW I UNDERSTAND WESTERN SOCIETY. I WAS RAISED UPPER MIDDLE CLASS, MY PARENTS, HOWEVER, WERE RAISED ON FARMS AND ATE PLENTY OF FRITS AND VEGGIES. WE HAD HOME GROWN FRUITS AND VEGGIES. MY MOM DID CAN, HOWEVER, AND USED SUGAR IN THAT. BUT SHE COOKED WHOLESOME MEALS.

Fascinating, scientific, informative

Saw the author's TED talk on YouTube. I was intrigued and wanted to know more, which led me to this book. I was not disappointed. I like how he moves from the science, to identifying the problem, to proposing personal and public policy solutions. Well written and well performed by the narrator.

A Great Listen...educational and an eye opener

A real eye opener for what is truly causing obesity in America and the world, and what the makes of "food stuffs" don't want you to know. Contains a lot of science and fact but not so much to make a dull story. It will make you look at how you feed your family. Well worth the listen.

A recommend read

Very educational, entering & motivational. The narrator was perfect for this book. I would recommend this to everyone.

Take back your freedom through education and action.

This book is a must read followed by a call to action: 1- get others to read it, 2- change what and how you consume foods, 3- get involved in social actions to drive consumer and industry wide changes to drastically reduce sugar consumption of all types.

As things stand now industry and government corruption, in the form of direct and indirect payoffs, has subverted most people’s freedom of choice by limiting healthy choice and wantonly causing addiction in the name of making money.

Most important book for decades

Obesity and related metabolic diseases are going to wreck the US and the world economy quite soon. But do you know what actually causes people to eat too much of the wrong things? Why almost everyone who diets fails? The answers will astonish you, but they are laid out carefully with scientific fact. Great companion book is Bright Line Eating.