It is increasingly common for foods to be processed with added sugars, which can be hidden even in foods like yogurt and cereal that we recognize to be nutritious. Sugar is made up of two molecules, glucose and fructose, and while glucose is an essential energy source vital for survival, fructose has emerged as a driver of the obesity epidemic. Fructose also tastes the sweetest and increases food palatability, so it is increasingly common for foods to be processed with fructose-based sweeteners.

In this Science Café, Melissa Chee, an Associate Professor in the Department of Neuroscience will discuss how dietary fructose can target the brain to alter connections that promote feeding and respond to hunger.