I was recently asked by a client what they should say to their friend about sugar not being inherently fattening. It got me thinking about how difficult it can be for people to actually convince others that the general public consensus is incorrect, especially if you are not someone who is very familiar with nutrition
science.
To be honest, the easiest way to approach this is to say "all of the research studies on this have shown that sugar does not lead to fat gain without a calorie surplus, nor does it hinder fat loss in the presence of a calorie deficit. The main problem is that sugary foods tend to taste good, especially when combined with fat, which can lead to overeating".
^P.S. If you weren't aware that was the case, then you now know the inside scoop about sugar.
At that point, the conversation will probably go one of two ways:
1. The person will say "those studies are funded by BIG SUGAR", at which point there is no longer a point in having the
conversation, as it's become a religious discussion, rather than one about nutrition science.
2. The person will begin to to rattle off some hormonal/biochemical terminology that they don't fully understand. In that case, you can simply stand your ground by saying "I get that those mechanisms sound plausible, but again, it doesn't actually play out when studied, which is what we really care about - whether or not it
actually leads to fat gain".
It is sometimes incredibly difficult to argue with someone who starts to talk about the biochemistry of it all, as there are so many ways you can make an argument that sounds plausible, especially if the argument is being thrown at someone without much of an understanding of the biochemistry/metabolism. It makes people feel like they are stupid and somehow not fully enlightened, which is
why it's a pretty safe bet to just side with the research and request that they show you otherwise.
So yeah, while this email may seem random, I felt it was important, since you have probably been in one of these debates yourself. It probably makes you second guess yourself, so I just thought I would remind you that the general scientific consensus is that sugar is not inherently fattening
(which may be a surprise to you if you have never heard that before).
And before I go, just let me remind you that does not mean you should just consume as much sugar as you wish. At the end of the day, sugary foods (other than fruit) are not as satiating, nor do they offer many micronutrients/fibre, meaning that it is 1) easy to overconsume them and/or 2) end up
with a diet with insufficient micronutrients/fibre.
Keep it in context, as always.
Now, enjoy your Sunday. Relax, spend time with some good humans and get yourself some day-cent grub!
Yours In Health,
Gary McGowan
Triage Method
