How does looking at nature explain obesity in humans? What is the difference between glucose and fructose and how does each impact our health? What should we be eating for optimal health and to reduce weight gain? How does fat keep us hydrated? Is there a relationship between not drinking enough water and gaining weight? Is there such a thing as drinking too much water? 

Professor, clinician, obesity researcher, and author Richard S. Johnson, MD joins us on the SuperAge podcast to share his breakthrough research on obesity. He explains the causes of obesity, how being underhydrated impacts obesity and much water we should drink, what diet we should avoid, and more. 

What you will learn in this episode:

• How animals (and humans) become obese 
• The difference between fructose and glucose
• How fructose directly impacts weight gain  
• What we should avoid eating
• How much water we should drink 

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Welcome to the SuperAge podcast

00:03:40 Thank you to our sponsor InsideTracker

00:05:42 Introducing Dr. Richard Johnson

00:06:01 About Dr. Johnson’s book, “Nature Wants Us to be Fat” 

00:08:16 How animals gain fat for survival

00:10:00 The impact of eating fructose 

00:18:36 How fat and fructose interact

00:29:38 The difference between fructose and glucose 

00:37:51 Athletes and metabolic flexibility 

00:42:01 Dehydration and weight gain 

00:50:45 Overhydration 

00:53:04 The impact of fruit juice 

“If you eat too much and you exercise too little, you’re going to gain weight.” 

“It’s the sugar-fed animals that get diabetes. It’s the sugar-fed animals that get fatty liver. It’s the sugar-fed animals that shoot their lipids up in their blood. It’s the sugar-fed animals that develop hypertension.” 

“When the body thinks it doesn’t have enough energy, it goes into a survival mode. And it stores fat, stores carbohydrates as glycogen, becomes insulin resistant.”

“We actually could reverse obesity in animals that were overweight on sugar by increasing their water intake.” 

“I encourage everyone to hydrate better. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, maybe in some cases up to 10 glasses day.” 

Thank you to our sponsor InsideTracker. Listeners get 20% off and free InnerAge here: https://info.insidetracker.com/ageist    

Listen to the SuperAge podcast wherever you get your pods.

Dr. Richard Johnson’s book, “Nature Wants Us to be Fat”

Say hi to the AGEIST team!