A study claims that high-fructose corn syrup makes people fat.In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.I say this is bullshit. I am not a fan of high-fructose corn syrup and I am fully aware that corn syrup is forced upon us by the corn lobby. Like you I'd rather have plain old sugar. That doesn't change the fact that western society as a whole is becoming fat, including countries that don't have the corn lobby.
Society is getting fat because we're consuming too many calories and we're not exercising enough. Blaming corn syrup is akin to a fat person blaming their ailment on "genes" or "glands" or other nonsense.
Consume fewer calories and get off your lazy asses. And while I'm at it, mow your own damn lawn. So many people complain about illegals, yet these very same people hire a lawn crew of "undocumented workers" to mow their lawns for 20 bucks a pop. Do the yard work yourselves, like we used to up until 20 years ago. Lose the weight and remove the incentive for people who shouldn't be here.
13 comments:
Lou, the problem is that HFCS doesn't make you feel full, so you drink and eat more. When I travel overseas, I drink soft drinks that have sugar rather than syrup as the sweetener. I can drink a 330ml can and feel full. in New Zealand, I couldn't drink a 375ml can. Here in the US< I drink a couple of 20 ounce drinks with no full feeling at all. Given that corn syrup is in everything, we are tending to eat more.
That's not to say there isn't a personal responsibility angle to this as well - we are all responsible for what we put in our bodies. However, the food industry, and the government, which makes sugar expensive to protect domestic growers, bear some responsibility for making the situation worse.
I have started having a kids meal when I eat at a fast food place. That was an adult meal 40 years ago.
In a way, they are right. The HFCS and beet sugar is a very very large source of the excess calories in our diet. However, we are still eating more food than we need. I'm pretty guilty of that myself. Still, people gotta just put the dang forks down.
I'm a vegetarian but I still have to shop at big and tall stores and it aint because I'm tall.
I agree with the basic theme of the post - personal responsibility.
Food is still relatively cheap and very plentiful. It is literally everywhere you go. There are chips and vending machines in every gas station, and even in silly places like gyms.
It is really, really very simple, and you hinted to this.
A balanced diet and exercise. For me, portion control is an important part of this, and I exercise a LOT, probably too much. I exercise so much now that I can pretty much stuff my piehole wtih whatever I want and I still won't gain.
Some anecdotes - I also have been eating kids meals on occasion although I would disagree that the kids meal portion would be the adult portion 40 years ago. Not if you lived on a farm, anyway. Those guys needed (and many still need) WAY over the recommended 2k calories, and that was just to get their everyday chores done.
One more, hfcs is just today's demon.
Does anybody remember margarine? When I was growing up it was THE replacement for the dreaded toxic substance called butter. Now we aren't supposed to go near margarine.
I remember margarine. I also remember Alar, the high-fiber craze...
Lou I think the folks in DC have an answer...more taxes on food. Perhaps a calorie tax so that they can claim equaity in treating all calories the same....or a weight tax since fat people produce more waste and have a bigger carbon footprint (I passed on the opportunity to say other parts were oversized).
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, gas prices have gone up.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, there has been a hole in the ozone layer.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, the rates of kids with autism has gone up.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, the Houston Astros finally won the NL Pennant.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, two Bushes have been in the White House.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, the U.S. has twice been at war with Iraq.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, Google was invented.
In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, a lot of shit has happened.
Let's get rid of corn syrup if there is any chance it will keep any more Bushs out of the presidency.
My wife and kids thought I was crazy for putting butter and sugar on my pancakes. I demostrated to them how many (equivalent) heaped teaspoons of sugar are in a can of soda (8). They were shocked.
The government efforts to steer adults to lose weight have completely failed. That alone is reason enough to stop looking at the nanny state for answers.
But can something that can be done about the sodium content in food? Without empowering the nanny state? Maybe lower the daily recommended allowance of sodium?
I've never added salt to my food because I naturally have high blood pressure. Weight has never been an issue, I exercise every day. Don't smoke or drink. Will maybe eat a couple of chips at a party to be polite & try the dip, but I never buy chips for myself. I eat fast food maybe once every 3 months. Avoid processed food, save the stash of spam & MREs in the basement for natural disasters. Have used some MREs for camping trips. Bring a sandwich to work (today: leftover turkey) and cook at home. Have a bowl of plain oatmeal or a banana for breakfast. Use balsamic vinegar instead of salad dressing.
Since my doc mentioned putting me medication, I've been looking at the sodium content of foods bought in the grocery store. Everything has a ton of salt. So I started making my own bread without salt. Also buy "no-salt added" canned vegetables, which for some odd reason are more expensive. Started canning my own tomatoes for tomato sauce, which is pretty affordable when you buy tomatoes in bulk from the farmer's market. Make my own soup with chicken stock made from chicken quarter leftovers w/ no bullion added.
Been doing this for 3+ years & it doesn't appear to help. I've actually grown to like the taste of food without salt. The sugar & salt in processed food covers up the natural tastes. So I'm not complaining.
I don't know what else I can do. That leftover turkey breast in my sandwich? Tastes salty. They inject brine into the bird. Maybe it's time to start butchering my own meat.
Maybe all this stress about eating the "right" foods is causing my high BP...
For some of us, the "gland" thing is real. It's not about "lazy", it's a lifelong condition that requires medical treatment.
It can be overcome, certainly-- and there's no doubt that some people us it as an excuse as to why they can't lose weight-- but hypothyroidism is the real deal. Just sayin' =)
I am my lawn's own gardener.
(Just so you know)
Me too, El Pollo.
Also buy "no-salt added" canned vegetables, which for some odd reason are more expensive
One reason could be that there's probably a modestly shorter shelf life on non-salted food. Salt and sugar, even in modest amounts, tend to slow down spoilage. (Not prevent it, just slow it down, unless you're talking salt-cured ham levels of salt.)
Similar for trans-fats. They get oxidized less quickly, and so foods using them doesn't have to be thrown out as soon. Less inventory loss.
There's also the price premium for "non-standard product". Anytime a product is produced and stocked in far lower amounts than another, the high turnover one will entail lower per-unit costs. If salt-free canned vegetables become the more popular type, the price problem you see might go away.
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