Show 1332: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Weight Loss (Archive)

In this week's episode, find out what everyone gets wrong about weight loss. Why don't diet and exercise work very well? Do official guidelines and weight loss drugs offer a clearer path to success? With nearly three-fourths of American adults either overweight or obese, we can't ignore the problem any longer. For decades, people have acted as though packing on extra pounds was simply a matter of poor willpower. "Eat less and exercise more" is the standard mantra. But that is just one of the things we get wrong about weight loss. In truth, obesity is far more complex than we may imagine. In fact, neuroendocrinologist Robert Lustig has spent decades studying obesity and diabetes in children. During the past 25 years, the weight of newborn babies has risen by about 200 grams. No reasonable person could imagine this is the babies' fault! As a result, he says we need to grapple with the concept of different obesities with different causes and diverse consequences. When we come to terms with what we get wrong about weight loss, we may be able to start helping people achieve it.