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Natural Nonsense!
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that obesity rates have “sky rocketed” in recent years. Like it or not, but much of the world has grown fatter than ever before. Obesity is a growing problem (no pun intended), but we already know that. Identifying the problem doesn’t do much of anything. Yes, we have an obesity problem, but how do we go about fixing it?
I wish there was a simple answer, but when dealing with large populations, it becomes much more complicated. Yes, we need to promote exercise and healthy nutritional habits, but there is a much more to the story. Those who read blogs such as mine are already health conscious, or at least ready to get started. You didn’t come across this blog while watching your favorite television show. You had to actively seek out exercise or fitness based information to end up here.
What about those who are not as active however? What happens to these people? Perhaps they turn on the television and come across one of the two commercials linked to below:
I can’t believe that such nonsense is allowed to run on national television. Do we really need to promote high fructose corn syrup? Does the world really need more of this CRAP! And what about the use of the word natural? How the hell do these people pass high fructose corn syrup off as a natural food choice? Are they serious?
Look, I’m not suggesting that a popsicle is the end of the world, but our kids are already growing fatter and fatter. They are going to eat their treats regardless of the commercials, but do we really need to encourage even more? Do we need to con the public into believing that this crap is somehow healthy? Should we call everything “natural” considering that everything in this world came from this world.
And what about the reference to moderation? Does anyone actually do anything (that they enjoy) in moderation? Can we trust a young child to eat junk food, but only in moderation? Will the average 9 year old recognize the need to consume his bag of treats in moderation? Give me a break! Where do we draw the line with this blatant bullsh*t?
And for those who may be confused, high fructose corn syrup is everything but “natural” and everything but “healthy”. It is pure crap, and something we can all do without. If you want to give your children a natural snack, give them a fresh piece of fruit. There is no need for a fruit flavored snack when you can go directly to the source and eat the REAL piece of fruit!
For those who need more information about high fructose corn syrup, take a moment to read through this link
And to the corn farmers who wish to send hate mail, how about growing some real corn that we can eat instead!
Ross
45 Comments so far
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great post – thanks ross
I remember how horrified I was to discover, upon reading the ingredients, that Quaker 100% Natural granola had partially hydrogenated oil in it.
In the last year I believe it has been removed, but . . . kee-rist!
Ross- here’s some more:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1969924.htm
Well put man. Kids have no off switch when it comes to sweets. There is no such thing as moderation with them, I literally have to pull the stuff away from my kids when they’re around it at grandmas and grandpas. Usually after a while I start throwing the sweets in the garbage when nobody is looking in an effort not to offend the grandparents. When we come home it’s like they go through detox for a day or so trying to satisfy the sugar cravings because we don’t make sugar/hfcs available in the home.
Grandparents, if there are any of you reading this, remember that the kids just want to be around you. You don’t need to feed them all the unimaginable abominations that this country calls sweets to get them to like you. They beg to visit because they simply love you.
My wife was in New Orleans a few months ago for a food show and brought back all of this literature she found that promoted the use of HFCS. The corn industry funded all of these “studies” and has big bucks invested in HFCS. They’ll fight tooth and nail against everyone vilifying their baby.
Wow Ross. This is actually disgusting. Where in the hell is our world headed with junk like this on TV? I sent this to my sister who is a pretty big health buff and she said it made her question for a second why HFCS is bad. The whole thing is ridiculous.
Thanks for bringing it to the light.
Wow. This reminds me of the tobacco companies saying smoking is alright.
Following the links to cited data within the website promoted in the video (SweetSuprise.com) we see that HFCS has gone from 0 short tons delivered in 1966 to nearly 8,5000 in 2007. (Also of note is that all sweeteners have increased during this same period.)
Public concern grows, so time to call in the PR Dept.
I’d sure like to see an accurate version of the video scenario where the person asked “Like what?” has the answers to just what all is wrong and unhealthy about HFCS.
Think again when corporations tell you they care.
Thanks Ross.
Hey Ross! It’s your boy Chuck.
Now this s**t is Fu**ing Insane!!! But Ross i’m not gonna sit here & say i seen it all. Never that man. This world will never cease to amaze us. For the love of GOD what the F**k is wrong with people!!! Wow money has really tooken it’s tow on some industries Ross. But like i said i’m not amazed. I mean serious what’s next? Are they gonna strat selling S**t in stores in a jar or frozen or something & tell us that eating it is healthy for us. Man let me shut up Ross cause lord knows what the hell else is to come from these F**ks!!!
Oh & to those farmers you were talking about Ross. They can eat a D**k I hope they choke on there F**king HFCS fat hillbilly Bastards.
As a doc working in an ICU I can tell you that a very large amount of illness I see is at least partially related to bad habits and behaviors (alcohol, nicotine, other addictive drugs, excess calories, random violence). We now actually have “big boy” beds, extra-large wheelchairs, “open” MRI scanners (for extra-large people), and for many drugs the weight maximum in testing is 140 kg’s………for anyone heavier, it’s your best bet on how much to give. It’s actually quite sad…..
Just…wow.
Ross – I amost choked on my breakfast when I watched these videos. It’s like watching an advert for cigarettes. Enjoyed your rant and I think you have nailed with what you say. Your point about products being described as ‘natural’ is something I have been exploring recently, and I posted an open letter on my blog to a company that is marketing a product described as natural when it clearly is not, because it contains, amongst other nasties, ‘high maltose corn syrup’ which is no better than HFCS.
Methuselah
Pay Now Live Later
I despise food industry advertising/ marketing. It cracks me up to see the tower of Krispy Kremes in the grocery store promtly labeled, “NO TRANS FAT!” Gimme a break.
Ask any butcher how to fatten up a cow and they will till you to feed it corn. Now I’m not saying that corn is a “bad” food, it just seems to be overused in our society. HFCS definitely adds to that overuse big time, hence a society of fat cows. Sadly, like you said Ross, those who read blogs like yours are already health conscious… but more people seem to get their info from corporate brainwashing so even if they want to live a healthier life, they don’t know where to start. My guess, commercials like these aren’t going to help. The answer for now seems to lie in the grass roots education process that you and others provide. These sources of info must be actively sought out, but that is what people need, to take responsibility for themselves, not expect someone else to think for them.
this is wat i love with you ross,direct to the truth.Continue whe need this infos for learn everiday.
patrick
I am an Adult Teen Leader at my church. I see and hear these kids and their diets. I’ve been trying to educate them on what these foods like high sugar sodas and greasy fast food can do to you. Even the fast foods that SOUND ok. We need to encourage them to exercise and be active in life.
BTW Ross, it was your video that first introduced us (this youth group) the triple clap. Only one of the leaders could do it, but now some of the teens have started to train just enough to try to do at least a double clap. It’s a good start!
The really irritating thing about all this is that the lobbyists for these corn growers have convinced the government to put import quotas and tariffs on sugar. If we were allowed to buy sugar at it’s true price, HFCS wouldn’t be so prevalent because it’s too costly to make. But instead, someone did enough brown-nosing in Washington that the government is taking care of the corn growers. That’s protectionism for you.
Safe in moderation, eh? Just like booze, porn, and pot, I guess.
You can bet that the federal government had a hand in the production of these commercials. They’ve already subsidized HFCS, which explains why HFCS is much more complicated to make than white sugar, yet it’s dirt cheap.
This comment may be a bit, well, controversial, but just bear with it for a second…
Corn syrup has taken a big negative image hit in the past few years by a ton of people that think it is the devil somehow. It’s just sugar in an easily transportable, measurable form. Sugar is basically sugar, folks, nothing more, nothing less. Drink a cup of sugar water of red “juice” and the effect is largely the same – sugar turns to fat if you’re sedentary.
Personally, I think that the ads are a bit underhanded too, but what they are saying is that sweets in moderation isn’t the end of the world. The link about “murky fermentation vats” is typical of a knee-jerk smear in the opposite direction of the ads.
The bottom line is that excess sugar is bad and that it should be avoided!
The big problem is the fact we have so much ultra processed foods that people consume without thinking. Cheap and convenient rules the day.
The solution isn’t limiting what some corn conglomerate can say or whatever, it’s actually getting folks off their duffs, educating ‘em and making sure they’re exercising.
On that level, I don’t see much of anything being done at a grade school level to promote that kind of thinking, so I’m betting that the problem becomes worse.
My hard and real $0.02? Forget the Jones down the street with their store bought bullshit and worry about yourselves – lead by example. If you’ve got kids, make the right decisions regarding their nutrition and teach ‘em to make the right choices growing up…
Want an even better solution? The point about subsidies are true, however… Why this stuff doesn’t cost a lot more is beyond me – if it did cost more, the price of production food would also be higher. Maybe that is what we really need – start electing folks that’ll cut farm subsidies and start growing real food again, the price should drop on the fresh stuff and the crap will be more expensive…
wow!
There is a real problem for sure in the west as a whole.
Ive just got back from 2 weeks in Spain, let me tell you i didnt see many “fit” looking bodies on the beech (apart from mine of course!) haha.
I guess the way the world is going lots of people just dont seem to care and get lazy.
The big problem is that high fructose corn syrup (this “sugar”) is pumped into food as a means of preserving it on the shelf for extended periods of time. Funnily enough, pumping something full of natural sugar doesn’t have the same effect… So no, high fructose corn syrup is not a form of sugar. High fructose corn syrup is a manmade chemical that adds sweetness of foods. While corn syrup in its unaltered state may be natural it’s certainly not that which is keeping food on the shelves for months at a time. High fructose corn syrup is poison. It has absolutely no place in the human body and is as far as natural they come. Putting corn in the name doesn’t make something natural, and it is appalling that these ads are trying to pass this garbage off.
On the other hand, the fact that the industry feels that it needs put this out there at all is somewhat encouraging. The message that their product is crap is getting out there and they’re feeling the squeeze…
WOOOOOW. i seriously thought that commercial was some kind of a joke for a second. UNBELIEVABLE.
amen brother
What’s the problem. People know the dangers and side effects associated with that stuff. If a kid gets fat, it’s his problem, and if he wants to sort it out, it’s his solution. Let people do what they want, (within the law of course).
Sixxstring – The problem is that many people do not know there IS a problem. It is called awareness, and the general public is being fooled. These marketing giants are deceptive. The average consumer has no idea what he or she is eating.
Ross
I’m with Less’s comment here. HFCS is bad, but sugar is just as bad as well. Seems like HFCS is getting an unnaturally bad rep for no reason.
The commercials are definitely ridiculous, but I’m waiting for someone to explain to me in technical terms why HFCS is worse for us than sugar.
And maybe I’m deaf but I didn’t hear the word “natural” in either ad. There was a court ruling a while back that foods containing HFCS couldn’t be labeled as natural. If you want to keep your food choices natural, definitely go for sugar over HFCS but I don’t think that’s going to be shrinking anyone’s waistline.
Greg,
Start with the link referenced in the main blog entry:
http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html
As for the “natural” word selection, it is used throughout the sweetsurprise.com site (which is responsible for the commercial)
Ross
Ross, I never actually made it over to sweetsurprise.com so thanks for that. As for the weston price article I had already read it, but it doesn’t say anything as to why specifically HFCS is worse for you than sugar. It talks at length about how HFCS is made, and why it’s used, but not why it’s worse than sugar (outside of not being natural).
The closest is the second to last paragraph which says that HFCS has more fructose than sugar. HFCS in soft drinks, to my understanding, is HFCS 55 which is 55% fructose, 45% glucose. Sugar is 50/50.
HFCS in most other foods is HFCS 42, which actually has less fructose than sugar. Is it the fact that the fructose is freely available that makes it worse than sugar? (mono vs di saccharide)
The big problem is that high fructose corn syrup (this “sugar”) is pumped into food as a means of preserving it on the shelf for extended periods of time. Funnily enough, pumping something full of natural sugar doesn’t have the same effect… So no, high fructose corn syrup is not a form of sugar.
This is simply wrong and untrue. In Greece and Italy, honey has been used as a preservative for a long time.
Making jam and jelly is just another way of preserving something with sugar.
Lastly, I don’t see expirations dates on refined white sugar.
My point is simply that sugar can be used as preservative. Adding HFCS to something alone doesn’t make it have a longer shelf life, etc.
Again, the main reason why industry likes HFCS since it is a pourable form, not subject to caking or clumping, hence it is easy to use if you’re making industrial foods.
High fructose corn syrup is a manmade chemical that adds sweetness of foods.
Everything we consume has some degree of a chemical process associated with it!
Look at yogurt, coffee, chocolate, flour, beer, you name it!
Hell, we get sugar from processing sugar cane with water and lye and evaporating or spinning.
The “Mother Linda” article is neither rigorous or scientific. It plays on your fears that HFCS is being produced in some backroom methlab setting.
The truth is that the only reason industry uses it is because:
1.) It is cheap due to subsidies
2.) It is in an easy to process format for industrial food production.
Folks, sugar is sugar. In gross excess, any form or sugar – Honey, cane sugar, refined sugar, HFCS – will rot your teeth and probably make you diabetic. However, sugar is also a basic food substance and is totaly necessary for you to survive.
I’m not sure that I buy Ross’ idea that there is a lack of awareness. Most folks are hammered with the idea of the food pyramid (Hell, even the “food pyramid” got the idea right about sugar – “USE SPARINGLY!”), health class, etc. However, we’ve reached a point where most folks would rather ignore it and indulge in whatever they crave.
Here is why the “west”‘s “me now!” mentality betrays us: We want to maximize pleasure and minimize pain or inconvenience. Hell, most folks go to the gym not because they want to, but because they feel that they need to fit a mold or keep up with what society tells ‘em they should look like.
Fair point, but I think you underestimate the knowledge of the public. I can’t speak for the knowledge of 300,000,000, but the obesity campaigners are very well known nowadays. The fitness industry is a billion dollar a year industry, which means it’s getting some attention. Supersize Me was massively popular. I can accept rural folk not being as informed, because communications there are tougher and more restricted, and I think more money could be pumped there. But city folk know.
Sixxstring – Even within this entry, there are several questions, so clearly not everyone is familiar with HFCS and whether it is good, or bad, or what it actually is… Couple this fact with the high powered marketing campaigns and people become aware, but often aware of misinformation.
To Greg – You may enjoy this link:
http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html
I should have referenced it earlier.
You may also wish to search on HFCS and its relation to chromium depletion. A Dr. Richard Anderson is pretty well known from his researched related to HFCS and related health consequences. There are loads of references available online.
Earl Mindell and Virginia Hopkins (search Amazon for their books such as Prescription Alternatives) have also written on the subject (for those interested).
Ross
Not HFCS specifically, but sugar in general. People have known for years the damage that excess sugar can cause, and I trust most people know sweets contain sugar.
I agree that most know that sugar is everything but a health food, but many food manufacturers have created “fruit” snacks and “fruit” drinks that are pumped full of HFCS. The parents actually believe they are providing their kids with a healthy option. I’ve seen this firsthand as a new parent. I’m around several parent groups.
Trust me, many of us take our knowledge for granted. You’d be surprised at some of the “awareness” (or lack of) that exists in the world, even amongst so-called educated, upstanding members of society.
Ross
wow. holy-retardation batman!
the sad thing is that people will buy this bullsh*T. people that have a clue will see right through it, but we all know how many idiots there are in the world and they buy this garbage. it is so wrong on so many levels (the facts, the music, the acting, etc) it is comical, but you are right ross, when you say “I can’t believe that such nonsense is allowed to run on national television.” it should be illegal somehow.
Hey Ross – I created an alternative version of the HFCS advertisements to counterbalance the BS contained in the originals – check it out:
Alternative HFCS Advertisement
I couldn’t agree more–this is a huge load of BS. If anyone’s read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” or any other of Michael Pollan’s pieces, they’d be able to see right through this.
I’m currently a college student majoring in nutrition, and nothing gets me more worked up than this kind of rubbbish.
I couldn’t agree more–this is a huge load of BS. If anyone’s read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” or any other of Michael Pollan’s pieces, they’d be able to see right through this.
I’m currently a college student majoring in nutrition, and nothing gets me more worked up than this kind of rubbish.
It’s funny how many of the posts here are calling the commercials propaganda or liking HFCS to cigarettes and yet unable to really put their finger on why they feel that way. It sounds remarkably like they’ve already fallen for the propaganda of the anti-HFCS party. Admittedly I had the same reaction from the commercials as everyone else here did; that HFCS is bad, and these commercials shouldn’t be allowed to air. But always with an open mind, I decided to check out the web site to get the other side of the debate. The claims there weren’t terribly impressive. They basically showed sugar and HFCS are pretty comparable, with the difference that HFCS is sweeter and therefore you require less of it.
I found much the same when I further researched on the Internet for some more scientific data. Various people claim HFCS is harmless, and just as many claim it’s fattening or increases the rate of diabetes. There’s one very accademic arguement made continuously, that the use of HFCS coincides with the increased rate in obesity in the US. Well I traced this arguement back to its source. It was a statement made at the end of an entirely different study. They suggested the link to encourage other groups to further study whether the two are connected. No such study has yet been made to my knowledge, but the media picked up the comparison and it’s become an urban truth we all assume to be true.
While this debate has probably become heated to the point that individuals are only ‘allowed’ to be for or against HFCS, I have to say I’m a pretty neutral party. I look as HFCS as slightly better for us than sugar, but with an air of caution as sugar has existed in the food chain far longer than HFCS. Frankly, I think that is the only legitimate argument for natural foods over man made substances.
My main reason for posting is simply that I hate reading unsubstantiated rumors being handed around. If it’s your opinion that one thing is better than another then fine, but please separate views from facts so we can reduce propagating ignorance.
Sugar is no saint, but saying it’s worse than HFCS is false. Both should be avoided, but HFCS is at the bottom of the totem pole. This may not be the popular mainstream opinion, as the corn industry will invest heaps of money to convince you otherwise, but the facts are easily understood.
I could write an entire thesis on the dangers of HFCS. First, the liver takes a fair bit of abuse. Fructose is absorbed by the jejunum, and the liver is left converting fructose to triglycerides (an easier task when compared to glucose). Elevated levels of triglycerides isn’t something you want. Heart disease is one problem that comes to mind. Another related problem is the higher concentration of uric acid (which has linked to heart disease, not to mention gout of course).
Another obvious link is type II diabetes. Remember, fructose reduces the likeness of insulin for its receptor. This should be warning enough. When you couple this with chromium depletion, it’s even more obvious.
Also, as Ross referenced, there are many more references listed within this article,
http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html
It is sad to me that so many take the attitude of “prove it is bad for us and then we’ll stop” eating it. With even an elementary understanding of science, the hazards are blatant and impossible to hide.
-G-
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/01/cbsnews_investigates/main4491513.shtml
Quite a good read.
Hi Ross and other users, dont know if anyone has seen this yet, you probably have
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=EMo3gOWC8h0
very funny parody of the HFCS ads, it borders on nonsense how they can show those ads on television, this proved a pretty good point i think. we dont get them over in the UK thankfully
Ross, I know you’re busy, but you should check out the book “Toxic Sludge is Good For You.” It explains how that crap gets on TV.
Wow another get post Ross. I can’t how full of sh** these ads are. What next are they going to try and tell us that smoking is ok…
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