Obesity Research and Prevention (Audio)

How did we get so fat, so fast? The debut episode of this 7-part series debunks the theory that obesity only affects the “gluttons and sloths” among us and is, in fact, a public health problem that impacts everyone. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23305]

How do we effectively manage our weight when the world around us is full of enticing, unhealthy options? Kerri Boutelle, PhD, joins David Granet, M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.A.P. to discuss how we can train our minds to avoid temptations and pay more attention to what our bodies really need. Series: "Health Matters" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 25869]

Millions have watched Dr. Robert Lustig’s YouTube videos on the role sugar plays in obesity. In this compilation of the popular YouTube series “The Skinny on Obesity,” Dr. Lustig and his UCSF colleagues dig deeper into the root causes of the obesity epidemic. Discover why what we eat is as important as how much we eat. Understand the effects of stress on obesity rates, and why some predict that th...

Dr. Robert Lustig, UCSF Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, updates his very popular video “Sugar: The Bitter Truth.” He argues that sugar and processed foods are driving the obesity epidemic, which in turn affects our endocrine system. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 25641]

Dr. Robert Baron, UCSF Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean for Graduate and Continuing Medical Education, discusses the rise in obesity rates and associated detrimental health effects. He explores various ways to lose weight and maintain a healthy BMI. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 25639]

Stephanie Greer, a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley explores the role of sleep in reward processing and decision-making (including food decisions) using human neuroimaging techniques. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 24582]

Michael Grandner, University of Pennsylvania, explains that insufficient or excess sleep duration or inadequate sleep quality have adverse affects on health. He explores how sleep is experienced on a societal level and argues that quality sleep is affected by a person’s race and income level. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [P...

Ronald Dahl, School of Public Health and the Director of the Institute of Human Development at UC Berkeley, explores the health paradox of adolescence. Adolescence is (physically) the healthiest period of the lifespan yet the overall morbidity and mortality rates increase dramatically from childhood to late adolescence. Explore the growing evidence for sleep’s role in learning, memory, and brain d...

Aric Prather, UCSF Department of Psychiatry, explores the complex associations of sleep, stress, and biology. He examines the link between stress and obesity and how sleep is involved. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 24585]

Shawn Youngstedt, School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina and the Dorn VA Medical Center, explores how physical activity moderates the association of sleep duration and obesity. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 24584]

Dr. Susan Redline, Professor of Sleep Medicine and director of programs in Sleep and Cardiovascular Medicine and Sleep Medicine Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School, explores effects of early life influences and sleep deficiency in childhood on predisposition to obesity. She also looks at age and gender vulnerabilities and identifies early childhood risk factors. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obe...

Eve Van Cauter, Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago, directs the the Sleep, Metabolism and Health Center. She explores how sleep loss and poor sleep quality are risk factors for obesity and diabetes. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 24581]

Erica P. Gunderson, Research Scientist at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, explores the impact on weight gain and obesity in women particularly how sleep during pregnancy and postpartum impacts weight. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 24580]

Dr. Maurice M. Ohayon is Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center. He explores the distribution and determinants of obesity and sleep disorders including comorbidity with medical and mental disorders in the U.S. population. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health...

Nutritionist Andrea Garber, UCSF Division of Adolescent Medicine, explores whether fast food meets the definition of substance dependence. From the nutrients in fast food, to the consumers, to the packaging are adolescents getting hooked? Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 24012]

Dr. Jonathan Carter, a gastrointestinal surgeon at UCSF Medical Center, discusses why Americans are increasingly obese and explores diets, medicines and surgical responses to this disease. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 24010]

UCSF experts offer a frank indictment of the country’s agricultural policy and food industry, which have made it nearly impossible to avoid sugar in our daily diet, and suggestions for possible remedies. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23723]

The pace of modern life is a key contributor to today’s obesity epidemic. UCSF’s Elissa Epel and Barbara Laraia explain the stress connection and offer practical and effective solutions that don’t involve dieting and exercise. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23721]

An unnerving trend of obese infants is just one indication that obesity can be passed on from mother to fetus. This installment looks towards the next generation, with an emphasis on preventive care and pre-natal health. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23719]

Sugar isn’t just sweet, it’s addictive. This episode explores the cycle of addiction that sugar causes in the brain, much in the same way as drugs and alcohol. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23717]

Sugar impacts the brain just as much as the waistline. In this episode, Dr. Robert Lustig explains the biochemical shifts that sugar causes, making us store fat and feel hungry at the same time. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23592]

Dr. Robert Lustig illustrates the overabundance of sugar in today’s processed convenience foods and explains how our bodies metabolize these sugars in the same way as alcohol or other toxins, causing damage to the liver and other organs. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23591]

Throughout “The Skinny on Obesity” series, Dr. Robert Lustig has made his case that sugar is a toxin that’s fueling the obesity epidemic. But what does he recommend we do about it in our daily lives? Here Dr. Lustig offers four useful tips to help you and your kids steer clear of excess sugar and overeating. Series: "The Skinny on Obesity" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23901]

Throughout “The Skinny on Obesity” series, Barbara Laraia and Elissa Epel of UCSF’s Center for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment (COAST) have made the case that sugar and changes in the modern lifestyle have led to the global obesity epidemic. But what do they recommend we do about it in our daily lives? Here they share some helpful diet and lifestyle tips to keep you and your family on the...

Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, in the Division of Endocrinology at UC San Francisco, explores how and why to reduce sugar consumption. Series: "UCSF Consortium for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Professional Medical Education] [Show ID: 21693]