Why is obesity so common today? Is high fructose corn syrup behind this?
Since 1970 there has been a dramatic increase in obesity rates in America. In 1970, about 15% of the population were obese and by 2010 the rate had skyrocketed to over 40%. America now has an obesity epidemic on its hands.
What is going on here? Why are people getting so fat?
High Fructose Corn Syrup Is Playing A Big Role
Many different factors are at play but the main thing are the changes in today’s food environment – the industrial global diet.
Many people falsely believe that a calorie is a calorie regardless of what it is that they put into their mouth. The mantra from the diet industry is you eat too much and exercise too little therefore you are fat.
The truth is that some foods play a much larger role than others in contributing to weight gain and obesity.
You can have the same calorie count but the metabolic effect will be completely different depending on the food.
In the accompanying video, The Skinny On Obesity (Ep. 1): An Epidemic for Every Body by Dr. Robert Lustig, highlights the effects that the industrial global diet is having on obesity rates worldwide.
Obesity And Its Attendant Diseases
The industrial global diet is having a huge negative effect on people’s metabolism. When your metabolism goes, the result is metabolic syndrome and the related diseases. Metabolic dysfunction or metabolic syndrome, usually but not necessarily afflicts people who are obese. This is generally defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 and above. Metabolic dysfunction diseases are:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Polysystic ovarian syndrome
- Lipid problems
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Heart disease
These eight diseases account for a breathtaking 75% of the global healthcare costs.
It’s important to note that obesity is not the cause of these diseases but is a marker only. The cause of obesity is metabolic dysfunction and a major cause of that is excessive fructose intake.
Surprisingly 20% of obese people have a completely normal metabolism and will live a long life. For people of normal weight this figure is 60% so metabolic dysfunction still strikes 40% of thin folk.
What Causes Metabolic Syndrome?
Modern society with all it’s advances is fine and good but when it comes to the effects it has had on our food supply, food preparation and eating habits, it is disastrous. Some of the factors at work here are:
- People don’t prepare wholesome meals like they used to – it’s a fast food and junk food nation.
- Processed foods are loaded with unhealthy plant based oils, that have been processed and heated and these foods are loaded with sugar – two sure fire ways to really screw up your metabolism.
- People are stressed and sleep deprived.
- Folk now eat Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) meats, which are higher in omega 6 fat, pumped up with antibiotics and fed GMO feed.
- The soil that our food grows in is depleted of the nutrients that our bodies need.
- Folk are consuming way too much sugar/fructose mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
What Is Wrong With High Fructose Corn Syrup?
Americans are now consuming about 150 grams of sugar per day and half of this is high fructose corn syrup. These kind of numbers are disastrous for our metabolism and about 3 times above our daily maximum.
According to Dr. Lustig excessive fructose consumption triggers biochemical mayhem – here’s why:
- Metabolizes differently than glucose whereby the majority turns directly into fat. Fructose is processed in your body in the same way as alcohol. Too much fructose consumption leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and one of the early signs of this is a “soda belly”.
- Fructose sends the hormone insulin mad, switches on the ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin and switches off the ‘full hormone’ leptin. The result is your insulin level spikes, you become hungrier and you don’t know when you are really full.
- Leads to excessive fat around the middle and all the telltale signs of metabolic syndrome – lower HDL, higher LDL and higher triglycerides, higher blood pressure and higher blood sugar.
- With time you’ve got insulin resistance and full blownn type 2 diabetes.
So counting calories to lose weight ain’t gonna work. Calorie for calorie fructose does the most damage and should be avoided completely. Other foods to add to this list would be other sugars and all grains. It’s these three foods that are the leading cause of obesity today.
High fructose corn syrup is pure nastiness! (Tweet Me)
When these three foods are consumed in large amounts then your insulin levels will soar. When your insulin levels are chronically high, the message it sends out to your body is to create and store fat. Remember that you don’t get fat because you are eating too many calories. You get fat because you are eating too much of the wrong kind of calories, like fructose, sugar and grains.
What Is The Answer Then?
Minimizing the consumption of fructose, sugars and grains (in that order) and replacing these calories with healthy fats especially saturated fats.
Grains may seem harmless, whole grains healthy even, but this isn’t the truth. Grains quickly break down into sugar, sending your insulin level soaring and in the long run, insulin resistance. Your insulin level is the most important factor that determines your overall health and longevity.
Fats in general have been demonized for years and there is a lot of confusion about them especially saturated fat which is said to lead to heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. This is simply not true. The only fat that is truly dangerous is trans fat – vegetable oils and margarine.
Saturated fats are vital for your health. Some of the benefits include:
- A concentrated form of energy.
- Lowers cholesterol levels.
- Important for many biological processes.
- Required for production of hormones.
- Controls your genetic regulation.
- Acts as anti fungal and antiviral agents.
- Acts as building blocks for your cell membranes.
When cutting down on carbs you will need to replace this lost energy with saturated fats. Saturated fats are the perfect fuel for your heart and they do not raise your insulin levels, unlike carbs. Note that we are not suggesting that you cut down on vegetable carbs, these you should increase to make up for the lost energy.
Healthy saturated fats include (ideally organic and unprocessed):
- Olive oil
- Coconut oil and palm oil
- Raw butter
- Raw nuts
- Egg yolks
- Grass-fed meats
Note that olive oil should not be used for cooking, instead you can use coconut oil. Another healthy fat you should be eating is animal-based omega-3. The best source is krill oil or wild salmon oil.
How Much Fructose Can I Eat?
If you are in good health then a maximum daily intake would be 25 grams of fructose with a max. from whole fruit of 15 grams.
If you have any of the following : diabetes, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, high cholesterol, high uric acid or obesity then limit fructose to only 15 grams per day. It would be best if you avoided all sources of fructose until you get your insulin under control and then add it back in carefully. Remember that high fructose corn syrup is in so many foods today so always check the label.