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
   

Food Fight: Scientists are taking on sodas as the 'cigarettes' of obesity

• Count One: Guilt by association.

Soft drink consumption rose more than 60 percent among adults and more than doubled in kids from 1977-97. The prevalence of obesity roughly doubled in that time. Scientists say these parallel trends are one criterion for proving cause-and-effect.

• Count Two: Physical evidence.

Biologically, the calories from sugar-sweetened beverages are fundamentally different in the body than those from food.

The main sweetener in soda — high-fructose corn syrup — can increase fats in the blood called triglycerides, which raises the risk of heart problems, diabetes and other health woes.

• Count Three: Bad influence on others.

Sugar-sweetened beverages affect the intake of other foods, such as lowering milk consumption. Popkin contends they also may be psychological triggers of poor eating habits and cravings for fast food.

He examined dietary patterns of 9,500 American adults in a federal study from 1999-2002. Those who drank healthier beverages — water, low-fat milk, unsweetened coffee or tea — were more likely to eat vegetables and less likely to eat fast food.

• Count Four: Consistency of evidence.

Many studies of different types link sugary drinks and weight gain or obesity. Some even show a "dose-response" relationship — as consumption rises, so does weight.

Collectively, they meet many criteria for proving cause and effect, Dr. William Dietz, director of nutrition at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in an editorial accompanying a study in February's Journal of Pediatrics.

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/health/stories/0307dietsoda.html