Richard J. Johnson, M.D. is a practicing physician and clinical scientist who is internationally recognized for his seminal work on the role of sugar and its component fructose, in obesity and diabetes. His new book, Nature Wants Us to Be Fat, tells of the discovery of a biological switch that helps animals become fat and insulin resistant to help them survive periods of food shortage. Work led by the author and his research team have shown that this switch is turned on in many people and is playing a key role in the obesity epidemic. This has led to significant breakthroughs in both understanding the cause of obesity as well as how to prevent or treat it. His science is highly regarded and highly cited, and he has published over 700 papers. He previously authored The Sugar Fix with Timothy Gower in 2008 (Rodale) and The Fat Switch in 2012 (Mercola.com) He is currently a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver. He lives in Aurora, Colorado with his wife, Olga, children, Tracy and Ricky, and two miniature golden doodles