Monday 5 August 2013

Sweet little lies

Non-ironic reference to "Big Sugar"? Check.

Inevitable comparison with tobacco? Check.

Heavy reliance on Robert Lustig's eccentric theories? Check.

Blaming UK obesity on a product (high fructose corn syrup) that is virtually non-existent here? Check.

Call for sin taxes? Check.

It can only be an editorial in The Observer, Britain's [cough] liberal Sunday newspaper.

To see how this theory stands up against the facts, I invite you to study the graph below—spotted on the Cancer Research website by Simon Cooke—which shows a large decline in sugar consumption over the last forty years (black line).



The only type of food that has been consumed in greater quantities during the period of expanding waistlines is fruit. Fruit contains fructose, which Lustig says is "toxic".

So the lesson is, er, don't eat fruit.

4 comments:

Rursus said...

But... we must protect our children! Think of Second Hand Fat!!!

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmsa066082

:)

Rursus said...

I forget to mention: The above published study is scientific nonsense ( prove: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167629608000362 )

nisakiman said...

And what of the 'five- a day'? All that lethal fructose...

Michael J. McFadden said...

Just remember: there is NO SAFE LEVEL of ORANGE JUICE!

Orange juice not only contains fructose, but is also a rich source of ethyl alcohol (a Class A Carcinogen) and METHANOL (which causes blindness, liver damage, and gawdonlyknowswhadelse.)

If you suspect any parents of feeding their children this deadly sweet poison, please call your local constabulary.

Thank you. This has been a public service announcement.

- MJM