Why do so many people struggle with weight gain and obesity? Here’s one reason: A biological switch in our bodies designed to protect us from starvation can become stuck in the “on” position. This is a hidden source of weight gain, heart disease, insulin resistance, and other health challenges. But it’s not a life sentence; this switch can be turned off. In this episode, JJ talks with one of her heroes, Dr. Richard Johnson. He’s a practicing physician and an internationally recognized medical scientist researching obesity and diabetes, with a special interest in the role of sugar, especially fructose. Dr. Johnson explains why fructose is so different from other sugars and why it can be so problematic. You’ll learn why fructose can encourage fat storage, how this switch is being activated when we’re not in survival situations, the types of foods that can activate the switch and the behaviors that can turn things around. They also discuss leaky gut and its relation to food allergies, the role of fructose in damaging gut health, and how this sugar may be associated with dementia. This conversation gives you specific things you can do to help prevent this survival switch from causing weight gain and other health challenges in the long run.  Full show notes: jjvirgin.com/impactoffructose Listen to JJ’s previous podcast episode with Dr. Richard Johnson: What Causes Obesity?: https://jjvirgin.com/main-podcast/what-causes-obesity-with-dr-richard-johnson-ep-490/ Read JJ’s book The Sugar Impact Diet: https://store.jjvirgin.com/products/sugar-impact-diet-paperback-book Read Dr. Johnson’s book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat: The Surprising Science Behind Why We Gain Weight And How We Can Prevent—And Reverse—It: https://amzn.to/3QExPps Read Dr. Johnson's book, The Sugar Fix: The High Fructose Fallout Is Making You Fat: https://www.amazon.com/Sugar-Fix-High-Fructose-Fallout-Making/dp/143910168X Read Dr. Johnson’s book, The Fat Switch: https://amzn.to/3H0XEgb Learn more about Dr. Richard Johnson: https://drrichardjohnson.com/ I use Extra Fiber to keep my gut, and thyroid, happy: https://store.jjvirgin.com/collections/supplements/products/extra-fiber Find out how much protein you need daily by using my protein calculator: http://jjvirgin.com/proteinfirst Learn how to build the perfect plate:  https://jjvirgin.com/eat-by-the-plate/ Read the Study: Cerebral Fructose Metabolism as a Potential Mechanism Driving Alzheimer's Disease: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33024433/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices