No More SUGA

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/10/151027074759.htm

Obese children's health rapidly improves with sugar reduction unrelated to calories

Lead author of the study, Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in San Francisco writes, "This study definitively shows that sugar is metabolically harmful not because of its calories or its effects on weight; rather sugar is metabolically harmful because it's sugar."This article highlights, yet again, the incredibly harmful effects of sugar in children's diets. It shows that sugar leads to metabolic syndrome. It also shows that removing sugar from one's diet can cause weight loss. 

The article explains that Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions, which can be, but are not limited to , "increased blood pressure, high blood glucose level, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels." These accumulation of these health issues can cause an increase in the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

This study took 43 children between 9 and 18 and removed all sugar from their diets for just nine days. To maintain the same fat and caloric intake, they substituted the sugar with starch. Therefore, instead of sugary cereal and yogurt, they were given bagels and pasta. There sugar intake decreased from 28 to 10 percent. 

The results showed only consistent small weight losses. The children also got full faster. Some complained of being overwhelmed with food, yet were intaking the same number of calories. 

Additionally, the metabolic effects of obesity were significantly decreased. There blood pressure decreased, liver function improved, and there "bad" cholesterol decreased by 10 points. 

The conclusive results showed that a calorie is not a calorie, all are not the same. 

Personal Reflection: 

I have seen study after study, and documentary after documentary proving that sugar is detrimental to one's health and yet, still somehow the sugar industry stocks the shelves of ever gas stations. If you think about it, sugar impacts our lives almost before we even have a chance to deny it. For example, every child indulges in juice boxes, capris sons, apple juices in our sippy cups and so much more. These are full of sugar and for some reason we think its okay to pump our barely walking toddlers with straight sugar water. Furthermore, sugar is addictive and unescapable. You cannot walk in any gas station without seeing sugary snacks on almost every isle. 

I do not understand how we can know sugar is this harmful and still have it so prevalent in our lives. Why has the industry not seen the effects of the knowledge we all have now?

Correlation:

We have talked in class of the role of government in what we eat. For example, we discussed the role that big business has in GMO creation when the group spoke on that. It is almost like the tobacco industry. For years it ruled over government and paid researchers to prove that tobacco was not as harmful as it was. Yet, now that the consumers know the truth, tobacco sells have drastically decreased. I think eventually the same happens with sugar. Yet, I think big businesses like coke and others are still fighting it. I just hope the change happens sooner rather than later.