The F$$d P$lice are C$ming

[KhanadaRhodes]

Not disagreeing with the premise but you can also track the rise of obesity to the introduction of home computers, cable TV, the use of ADHD drugs in children, the elimination of dodgeball on school playgrounds, the Space Shuttle program, the designated hitter in baseball or an Irish band called U2.

Cause and correlation not being the same thing of course.

exactly. since we're the only country who seems to really use hfcs, then how come other countries have tons of fatties too? mexico and new zealand are the other top countries for obesity, yet we all know coca-cola there still uses cane sugar.

though i do think hfcs is disgusting.

 

[Liesje]

I love Coca Cola and I don't think I'm fat. Can you buy cane sugar Coke in the US? I'd like to try it.

 

[corianderstem]

I've seen it at some specialty grocery stores or stores the smaller grocery stores that sell primarily Mexican food. I swear they once had some at my local big ol' grocery store here in Seattle, but it was super expensive and in teeny bottles.

My first sip, I was back in the 80s, on the front porch with my dad as he took a break from mowing the lawn and shared a Coke out of a glass bottle with me. Super yum.

 

[PhilsFan]

Who are the Food Police, exactly? In your hot dog thread, the Food Police appeared to be a group of American doctors.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

I love Coca Cola and I don't think I'm fat. Can you buy cane sugar Coke in the US? I'd like to try it.

yeah. if you live in/near a city with a big jewish community, you can sometimes find "kosher" coke. it's a regular 2 liter bottle but the bottle top is yellow. it's got cane sugar instead of hfcs.

and yeah, mexican coke can be found too. i can find it at one grocery store in the mexican food section. those come in the 20 ounce glass bottles. i think they're 20 ounce anyway. but it's like a one person kinda glass bottle with the pop top.

 

[Rachel D.]

I just read yesterday on WebMD that Americans get most of their calories from pop. Maybe HFCS wouldn't be so bad if it was consumed in moderation, but people drink such large quantities of pop and it's in so many foods that we are getting way too much. I try not to buy things that have it, but it's almost impossible not to. You just have to read labels when you shop. I don't care what the FDA says (as if they really care about us), high fructose corn syrup is not healthy in such huge amounts and needs to be reduced in the American diet. I have noticed a lot of products are not using it anymore and I have emailed at least one company thanking them for switching to real sugar.

I can't believe I came to FYM. Yuck.

 

[BVS]

I don't care what the FDA says (as if they really care about us), high fructose corn syrup is not healthy in such huge amounts and needs to be reduced in the American diet. I have noticed a lot of products are not using it anymore and I have emailed at least one company thanking them for switching to real sugar.

But real sugar would be healthy in huge amounts?

This is what I don't understand about this argument...

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

But real sugar would be healthy in huge amounts?

This is what I don't understand about this argument...

but it's not like soda and other sweet drinks are the only source of hfcs. wonder bread, for example, has it. i've heard of putting a little bit of honey in bread, but that's a bit unnecessary, especially since iirc, it's the third ingredient listed.

 

[indra]

wonder bread, for example, has it. i've heard of putting a little bit of honey in bread, but that's a bit unnecessary, especially since iirc, it's the third ingredient listed.

Of course with bread once you get past the second ingredient the amounts of anything are pretty small. If you've ever made bread you know that the first two ingredients -- flour and liquid (water or milk usually) -- are by far the bulk of the loaf.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Of course with bread once you get past the second ingredient the amounts of anything are pretty small. If you've ever made bread you know that the first two ingredients -- flour and liquid (water or milk usually) -- are by far the bulk of the loaf.

thanks for missing my point completely.

 

[No spoken words]

I can't believe I came to FYM. Yuck.

From a PLEBAN.

 

[Vincent Vega]

It's not banned in Europe.

The reason why sugar might not lead to such rates of obesity, as far as I see, seems to be insulin. If you eat something sweetened with sugar, the insulin production of your body will make you feel saturated. With the highly concentrated fructose (90%) the body doesn't produce insulin, thus you don't feel saturated and consume more.
And while the US puts high import tariffs on cane sugar, HFCS production is subsidized.

But I'm also curious who this food police are. Are they a federal agency? And do they come to your house in the middle of the night and tase you, bro, if you had a bag of chips after midnight?

 

[AliEnvy]

have you sent emails protesting?

Point-of-sale data matters more than email campaigns when it comes to changing this type of corporate consumer production. Protest with your wallet.

I read recently that less (quality) sleep among overscheduled kids and teenagers in the last 30 years has also been a contributing factor to childhood obesity leading some school districts to make starting times later. I don't feel like looking up links but it was in a book called NutureShock: New Thinking About Children. Seemed to be very compelling evidence.

 

[Liesje]

How do we account for all the skinny, healthy people that drink soda? For something that is apparently in "everything" I'm not finding it in much I eat except for soda, and I'm not a health nut or one that reads every label.

 

[Vincent Vega]

It of course depends on many factors. Drinking soda doesn't make you overweight or obese, drinking huge quantities however can have an impact. Especially if you don't do much physical activity. I don't know many people who can eat and drink "guiltless". I'm a bit lucky as I seemingly inherited some good traits from my father. But I know that this will not be like that forever. When I get older, I need to start being more careful about what I eat and drink. Most people I know stay slim because they are careful about how much of sweets they are eating and drinking, because they have a balanced diet and because they are doing some sports or are walking and biking a lot, instead of taking the car, train etc. everywhere.

I guess you can compare HFCS to beer a bit. Beer itself doesn't cause overweight. But it contains calories that don't make you feel saturated (though, with me that's not the case, but it's what allegedly causes it). So you are taking in some calories, but also feel hungry and start eating. And then you take more calories in than your body needs.
Seems like HFCS has the same effect, but of course it's not some sort of natural law that you will gain weight because of that.

 

[indra]

thanks for missing my point completely.

What? That it's in all sorts of products? Well no shit, Sherlock.


(And who the hell eats Wonder bread anyway?)

 

[Liesje]

Drinking soda doesn't make you overweight or obese, drinking huge quantities however can have an impact. Especially if you don't do much physical activity.

With some people I feel they will be overweight and not do enough physical activity no matter what. If it wasn't HFCS, it would be something else....

 

[Vincent Vega]

Yes, for some that's certainly the case. I didn't talk in absolutes. For both being in perfect shape and being overweight there can be a multitude of reasons. So it's silly when some people jump to any conclusions just from looking at anyone.
I'm very lucky with my body. Another person who were living like me would certainly be overweight. I eat good, I like to eat sweets of all sorts and except for walking and taking the stairs instead of elevators and escalators I don't do sports. Yet, my BMI is between 16 and 17, so slightly underweight.
Other people look very well after their daily food intake and do a lot of physical activity, yet after each bag of chips or bar of chocolate they will have to 'sweat it off'.
In the end, HFCS is just one of so many factors.

Though, if I were having some sort of mono diet of junk food or just indulging in too great quantities of sweets it would get at me too, of course.

 

[Irvine511]

And while the US puts high import tariffs on cane sugar, HFCS production is subsidized.

it's all about Big Corn.

i blame people who live in big, flat, square states.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

What? That it's in all sorts of products? Well no shit, Sherlock.


(And who the hell eats Wonder bread anyway?)

true, but i suppose my point was that it's present in things you would think don't even need sugar (if this were the pre-hfcs days or whatever). it does seem a bit of ridiculous to be in some savoury things. but they find additives like that and msg make food taste better and leave you wanting more, instead of just putting in good ingredients to begin with.

(i don't either, yet it's still the iconic white bread! i'm more of a whole wheat person these days.)

 

[solemole]

wiki: "stevia"

Also, check out documentary movies:

 

[solemole]

sorry, didn't know images were that big....

 

[AliEnvy]

Food, Inc. was well done.

One interesting point I remember is that cows are meant to eat grass but are fed corn specifically to fatten them up fast. Sure, we're not cows, but GMO corn and/or soy derivatives are now in just about every processed food we eat.

Maybe that won't have negative effects on everyone in the same way (skinny people overdrink soda too) but my guess is the health of the majority can be compromised in ways we're just discovering.

 

[solemole]

Just stumbled upon this article on Google... I've always suspected that there was a link between cancer and "corn"....

New research shows cancer caused by carbohydrates, sugars, white flour, and corn syrup

 

[BVS]

I've always suspected that there was a link between cancer and "corn"....

I'm guessing by putting corn in quotes you mean corn derivatives? I'm still curious as to why you would suspect that...

That article is 6 years old, and I haven't really heard anything more about this link...

 

[the iron horse]

I do not drink sodas daily nor weekly, but when I do
I try to buy sodas that do not contain HFCS like Red Rock or Toms.

Here's a place where you can get Dr.Pepper without HFCS:
Dublin Dr Pepper

 

[BigMacPhisto]

I wish it would be illegal for females to consume beverages with such high amounts of high fructose corn syrup due to "pregnancy issues later in life"

But still legal for males. Then the dudes continue to fatten and I look like Clooney by comparison.

 

[UberBeaver]

Does Diet Soda contain HFCS? Just want to know if I should be worried.

 

[BVS]

Don't worry the food police have your placed bugged too...

 

[Vincent Vega]

I just happen to have a bottle of German Dr Pepper here and it's with sugar.