When something like sugar which is toxic and abused, we need public policy notes Robert Lustig, MD

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Monday, June 25, 2012 1:00 pm Email this article
When something like sugar or alcohol or heroin or cocaine is toxic and is abused, we must have public policy to curb its use notes Robert Lustig, MD, pediatric endocrinoligist from the University of California, San Francisco in the 7-part video series called “The Skinny on Obesity” (Episode 7).

Numerous public health policies have been imposed

Public policies are usually fought at first, but later accepted

“The fact is we’ve had numerous public health measures that have been imposed upon us, initially to our great dismay… and antagonism, and now not only do we accept them as just part of daily life, but we embrace them notes Lustig.

“Examples: fluoridation of water for cavities.

“Childhood immunizations.

“These are all things that where anathema’s when they were brought up, and now they are just a fact of life.

“In fact, that is what public health is.

Public health identifies problems that affect society

Public health policies are enacted to benefit society

“Public health identifies and exposure where mass behavioral change is going to be required, a mass environmental alteration is going to be needed in order to be able to accomplish it for the benefit of society, not the individual, but for society.

Sugar is toxic and abused

We need a public health policy for sugar because it is toxic and abused and is unavoidable

“When you have something that is toxic and abused at the same time –- nicotine, [alcohol], cocaine, amphetamine, heroine, morphine, cannabis—that’s when regulation has to kick in.

“And for sugar, which does all of these things, it’s both toxic and abused, it’s unavoidable and it has a negative impact on society.

“For [a public policy for] sugar, we have nothing.”

Reference

Robert Lustig, MD. The The Skinny on Obesity, Episode 7.
UCTV Prime: The Skinny on Obesity

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

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• Skinny on Obesity video series

• Sugar intake