Sugar and Sitting; The new Trans Fats and Smoking

[WestCoastRunner]

So what should we do about honey boo boo and her parents.

[Guest]

Not much we can do unless we extradite them, and even then, we no longer have the death penalty here in Canada.

[WestCoastRunner]

Not much we can do unless we extradite them, and even then, we no longer have the death penalty here in Canada.

[ReeferMadness]

I don't agree that sugar automatically makes you lazy. Often after consuming sugar, I need to do some sort of physical activity.

The idea of an energy drink or a coffee full of sugar gets you going in the morning sort or goes contradictory to that.

Sugar produces a temporary burst of energy followed by a crash. It's the caffeine in coffee that gets you going. Try drinking it black.

[ReeferMadness]

I would say giving a child unfettered access to canned pop and sweets is tantamount to child abuse.

I would say that there is good emerging evidence that is true. Sugar is not just empty calories - it's habit forming and detrimental to your health.

[ReeferMadness]

Health officials always need something to scare us with.

http://lifehacker.com/5879536/how-sitting-all-day-is-damaging-your-body-and-how-you-can-counteract-it

People have been consuming sugar for hundreds of years. Sugary treats are nothing new.

Solving the obesity epidemic is going to take a more nuanced approach than telling people everything is bad for them.

I think you need to do a bit more research. Sugary treats are not new but the amount of sugar that is added to all kinds of food is new.

Over the past century, Americans have increased their fructose consumption from 15 grams per day to 75 grams per day or more, Lustig explains. The trend accelerated beginning about three decades ago, when cheap, easy-to-transport high-fructose corn syrup became widely available. Much of processed food labeled “reduced fat” instead has sugar added to make it more palatable, Lustig says. But when it comes to harmful health effects, sugar is worse than fat, he claims. Consumption of either results in elevated levels of artery-clogging fats being made by the liver and deposited in the bloodstream. But fructose causes even further damage to the liver and to structural proteins of the body while fomenting excessive caloric consumption, Lustig says.

link

[Boges]

It seems, as with salt. That people get get a majority of their sugar in stuff they don't expect to receive it from. (eg Bread and Processed Meat) I wouldn't mind legislation to limit in their.

I believe in the US the FDA is changing labeling to include added sugar. I don't mind government intruding there as done with trans fats.

However taxing sugar where sugar is the intent of consumption is wrong-headed. If I want a soda, I know I'm consuming a sugary substance. Ditto with desert items. I guess it's the hidden sugar that's the problem. People aren't going to stop eating bread because of all the sugar in there.

[Mighty AC]

We're even "hiding" sugar in natural foods. Over the years we have selectively bred fruit and vegetable crops for sweetness ahead of most other factors. The average apple today contains 1/4 the nutrition of one grown 40 years ago. Corn is even worse, with its nutrition being reduced 10 fold to make room for increased sugar content. The most grown varieties of corn for consumption as a vegetable (so not even varieties dedicated to produce sweeteners) are now 40% sugar. In short, we are breeding the nutrition out of our food crops.