Originally published November 7 2005
Medical leader implicates high fructose corn syrup in childhood obesity problem
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Dr. George Bray, who served as founding president of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, discusses the prevalent role of high fructose corn syrup in the current obesity epidemic that endangers so many American children.
High-fructose corn syrup isn't completely responsible for the nation's six million overweight children - but Dr. George Bray says it's a big part of the problem.
Bray, who served as founding president of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity and organized the first international congress on obesity in 1973, points out that between 1970 (when HFCS was introduced) and 2000 (when average yearly consumption of the ultra-sweet liquid sugar hit 73.5 pounds per person in this country), the prevalence of obesity more than doubled, from 15 percent to almost one-third of the adult population.
And worse, much worse, obesity among children 12 to 19 - who consume a disproportionate amount of the soft drinks, fruit juice, sports drinks and packaged cookies and other baked goods that are sweetened with HFCS - increased from 4.2 percent in 1970 to 15.3 percent in 2000.
The implications for our children's future are clear: "We know that if it's not caught early, one in three of these overweight children will grow into overweight adults at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and early death," Bray said at a presentation in Fort Worth last month.
Larger portions, more high-fat fast foods, less exercise of any kind, irregular sleep patterns, lower consumption of milk and other high-calcium foods, and increased consumption of HFCS in beverages go a long way toward explaining the obesity epidemic, Bray says.
Bray says the problem with HFCS is not only that it is sweeter than other forms of sugar, but also that it does not affect appetite.
"Children less than 5 probably shouldn't have any sweetened drinks, and for older children, diet drinks are better than regular soft drinks and fruit drinks," Bray said.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml