Sugar, Salt, & Fat

Course overview

This home study course outlines the various factors that make foods palatable. It describes how our food industry aims to create foods that stimulate our drive to eat by, for example, providing a high concentration of rewarding (potent) ingredients in combinations that make them irresistible (eg. high sugar, fat and salt). It provides evidence that the "hyperpalatability" of our current food supply is undermining our normal satiety signals, motivating the drive to eat even when there is no physiologic need for food. This course presents evidence that repeated exposure to high quantities of palatable foods (i.e., those high in sugar, fat and salt) can alter the brain in ways similar to drugs of abuse, essentially "rewiring" the brain to promote compulsive eating and loss of control over food. One reason America is experiencing an obesity epidemic is that we are consuming more "added sugars" than ever before. This home study course addresses the reasons why sugars are being added to our food supply, and outlines the problems that are associated with excess intake of added sugars. It points to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) as the major source of added sugars in the American diet, and describes research linking SSBs to weight gain and numerous adverse metabolic consequences. It explores the question: is one type of sugar (eg. fructose), really more detrimental than another? And it provides actions to take to reduce the added sugar in our diets. Finally, this course addresses the proposed mechanisms whereby consumption of "artificial" sweeteners (or sugar substitutes) may actually be promoting weight gain. A second dietary factor contributing to America's obesity epidemic is that we consume a lot of "solid" fats (i.e., saturated and trans fatty acids). Not only do such fats tend to increase the palatability of the diet and, hence, promote overeating, but there is strong evidence that these fats increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (the number one cause of morbidity and mortality in this country) as well. Excess consumption of solid fats has been shown to promote leptin resistance, thus potentially disrupting the normal regulation of appetite and body weight. And they have been shown to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes because they contribute to insulin resistance. This course provides steps to reduce the consumption of solid fats and outlines ways to incorporate favorable fats (i.e., mono-unsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids) instead. Besides consuming excess added sugars and solid fats, virtually all Americans are consuming more sodium than they need. A major reason for this is that the food industry adds sodium (salt) to processed foods in order to increase its hedonic impact, i.e., to make foods more desirable. This is a concern because excess sodium consumption is a major risk factor for high blood pressure, a condition that can put us at put us at risk for some of America's biggest killers: cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and stroke. Currently, approximately one-third of adult Americans have hypertension, but the risk increases significantly with age. This course outlines current sodium recommendations and provides practical ways to lower sodium consumption. Overeating and obesity are common problems that can have a significant impact on people's lives. With the information outlined in this course, clinicians will gain a much fuller understanding of the factors that drive people to overeat.