Counterpoint: Arguments Suggesting HFCS Does Not Make You Fat

Several Articles about why HFCS does not make you fat, sample articles here:

Denver Post

New York Times


Main arguments from these articles and a COUNTERPOINT

1. Mexico, Europe and Australia do not use HFCS and they are getting fat. COUNTERPOINT: THAT IS LIKE SAYING COAL DUST CAUSES CANCER, THEREFORE CIGARETTES ARE NOT THE CAUSE. INCREASED CALORIE CONSUMPTION CAUSES OBESITY. HFCS IS ONE (DOMINANT) FACTOR, NOT THE ONLY FACTOR. THERE IS MORE THAN ONE CAUSE OF OBESITY, HFCS JUST HAPPENS TO BE A BIG ONE.
   
2. University of Washington gave diet cola, milk, and cola to 37 people and found no difference in satiety levels: COUNTERPOINT: ONE WOULD NOT EXPECT A NOTICABLE DIFFERENCE ON ONE DRINK. MEASURE THIS GROUP OVER A YEAR, ONE PART USING HFCS AND THE OTHERS WITHOUT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
3. University of North Carolina nutrition professor Barry M. Popkin organized a panel to discuss HFCS and concluded that it is no different than sugar: COUNTERPOINT: A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN A ROOM IS NOT A SCIENTIFIC STUDY.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup is not bad by itself, just eating too many of any calories is bad (Dr. Walter Willet, Harvard): COUNTERPOINT: TRUE, EATING TOO MANY CALORIES OF ANYTHING IS BAD. HOWEVER, HFCS HAS BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY SHOWN TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO EAT MORE CALORIES THAN IF THEY CONSUMED SUGAR.
5. We need more studies, we do not have proof: COUNTERPOINT: THE SAME ARGUMENT WAS MADE BY CIGARETTE COMPANIES IN THE 1970s