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Response to books by Robert Lustig
December 2012
Sugar Nutrition UK welcomes the opportunity to respond to the latest media activities of the author, Robert Lustig.
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December 2012
Response to books by Robert Lustig
Sugar Nutrition UK welcomes the opportunity to respond to the latest media activities of the author, Robert Lustig. He makes 3 main claims in regards to sugar; all of which are factually incorrect and are not supported by either the body of scientific evidence or findings of Expert Committees. Given that a number of his claims are misrepresentative of science and could be misleading to the public, it is unfortunate that none of his recent activities were subject to the peer-review process normally expected of contributions to the scientific literature. Reviews of the scientific evidence have concluded that sugar is neither toxic, nor addictive and does not cause any of the diseases associated with metabolic syndrome.
Bananas are not addictive, nor are any other sugar-containing foods. Scientists and Expert Committees have reviewed the claims of addiction, as put forward by Lustig, and have concluded that there is a lack of any credible scientific support for the claim that sugar is addictive.1-3
Sugar consumption in the UK has declined, whilst obesity and diabetes rates have increased. Data from the Government’s national dietary surveys show that intakes of sugars have declined over the last decade, whilst rates of obesity and diabetes have been increasing. 4-7
Sweet treats are not toxic. Major Expert Committees have considered the evidence in regards to sugars and all of the diseases addressed by Lustig, and all have concluded that there is no evidence of any harm attributed to current sugar consumption levels.7-11
References
- Ziauddeen H, Farooqi IS, Fletcher PC (2012) Obesity and the brain: how convincing is the addiction model? Nature Reviews Neuroscience 13: 279-285.
- World Health Organization (2004) Neuroscience of psychoactive substance use and dependence. WHO Geneva, Switzerland.
- Benton, D (2010) The plausibility of sugar addiction and its role in obesity and eating disorders. Clinical Nutrition 29 (3), 288 – 303.
- Department of Health (2011) National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Headline results from Years 1 and 2 (combined) of the rolling programme 2008 – 2010
- Department of Health (2012) National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Headline results from Years 1, 2 and 3 (combined) of the rolling programme 2008 – 2011
- NHS Information Centre for health and social care (2011) Health Survey for England 2010 – Trend Tables.
- European Food Safety Authority (2010) Scientific Opinion on dietary reference values for carbohydrates and dietary fibre. The EFSA Journal 2010 8(3): 1462
- World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (2003) Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series 916. WHO Geneva, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2002) Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (Macronutrients) The National Academies Press, Washington
- Food and Agriculture Organization (1998) Report of a Joint FAO/WHO Expert Consultation. Carbohydrates in Human Nutrition. FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No 66
- Department of Health (1989) Dietary Sugars and Human Disease. Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy. Report on Health and Social Subjects No 37. HMSO, London.
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Sugar Nutrition UK is an association principally funded by UK sugar manufacturers and is involved in promoting nutrition research and raising awareness among academics, health professionals, the media and the public about sugars and their role in health.