My Jihad on sugar

[Eddie Dane]

So, I decided to do something about my expanding gut and for the first time in my life started looking into methods of weight loss.

Came across this presentation: Sugar, the bitter truth.
For a short summary, try this one.

And holy crap, was that an eye-opener.

It makes a very compelling case that the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that is currently washing over the developed world, is caused mostly (not exclusively) by refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The latter has been demonised, but refined sugar is just as bad.

Sugar seems to be a driving force behind a lot of human suffering in the developed world.
Because being fat is associated with sloth and lack of discipline, obese people get the double whammy of physical discomfort, depression, low self image and discrimination.

Furthermore sugar intake is associated with heart disease, alzheimers and some cancers.

The cliché of the fat American can shortly be abandoned as Europe, China, Thailand etc are getting on the fat-train. The Chinese I know love feeding their precious child hamburgers and sodas as a sign of love. The kid looks like miniature John Candy.

So, I reviewed my eating habits and found that:
I eat a reasonably healthy diet (mostly home-cooked)
I thankfully stayed away from sodas and alcohol (sugar's little brother that gives you a buzz)
However, I did eat a breakfast cereal with sugar every morning, ate candy in the afternoon and evenings, ate candy-colored yoghurts with lunch every day.

Now, eliminating those, I cut my sugar-intake by at least 70%.
As a result, I'm shedding a kilo a week. four weeks now and counting.
I should add that I run three times a week.
And I find that my athletic performance has improved quite dramatically.

But enough about my quite lovely physique.

Is there any chance of turning the suicidal culture of sugar consumption?
I see that the US department of health is putting out information about sodas.
But I doubt that one awareness campaign is going to alert people to what they are doing to themselves.

Disclaimer:
I don't want to tell people what to do with their lives and health.
You can smoke crack for all I care.
I do care about people making informed decisions. And our current culture makes massive sugar consumption normal and hard to stop.

 

[Ryokan]

It makes a very compelling case that the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that is currently washing over the developed world, is caused mostly (not exclusively) by refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The latter has been demonised, but refined sugar is just as bad.

This isn't exactly unknown. Is there really any controversy over this?

 

[Eddie Dane]

This isn't exactly unknown. Is there really any controversy over this?

I'm sure people are aware that it isn't good for them.

but like me mostly in the "rots your teeth and puts on pounds" sense.

If people really knew, would there be 30% diabetics in African American children?
These people wouldn't give their kids beer or cigarettes, but they'll give them milkshakes.

Sometimes things can be widely known, but not change behaviour.
Look at how long it took for smoking to become a cultural no-no.

 

[Drachasor]

This isn't exactly unknown. Is there really any controversy over this?

Crunch bars.

 

[IDB87]

Good on ya, Eddie Dane.

It's quite surprising how many foods have corn syrup and sugar added to the finished product.

For example, I went to my folks yesterday for dinner. My mother made a roast. She put out ketchup and a generic steak sauce for my dad (he likes a weird combo of the two), and she had bought some frozen cream puffs for desert. All three products had corn syrup added to them.

 

[aggle-rithm]

I'm sure people are aware that it isn't good for them.

Sure, but quantifying exactly how much sugar you consume can be an eye-opener. For instance, I wasn't aware that drinking a single soft drink exceeds the maximum daily allowance for added sugar.

 

[aggle-rithm]

Good on ya, Eddie Dane.

It's quite surprising how many foods have corn syrup and sugar added to the finished product.

For example, I went to my folks yesterday for dinner. My mother made a roast. She put out ketchup and a generic steak sauce for my dad (he likes a weird combo of the two), and she had bought some frozen cream puffs for desert. All three products had corn syrup added to them.

I checked the ingredients on my "plain" oatmeal and found that it has added sugar.

Shredded wheat has no sugar...but putting milk on it pretty much undoes any benefit.

 

[ServiceSoon]

I checked the ingredients on my "plain" oatmeal and found that it has added sugar.

Shredded wheat has no sugar...but putting milk on it pretty much undoes any benefit.

What? I recall that milk, does a body good!

***

Sometimes things can be widely known, but not change behaviour.
Look at how long it took for smoking to become a cultural no-no.

Says the person with a smoking avatar

 

[sadhatter]

So, I decided to do something about my expanding gut and for the first time in my life started looking into methods of weight loss.

Came across this presentation: Sugar, the bitter truth.
For a short summary, try this one.

And holy crap, was that an eye-opener.

It makes a very compelling case that the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that is currently washing over the developed world, is caused mostly (not exclusively) by refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The latter has been demonised, but refined sugar is just as bad.

Sugar seems to be a driving force behind a lot of human suffering in the developed world.
Because being fat is associated with sloth and lack of discipline, obese people get the double whammy of physical discomfort, depression, low self image and discrimination.

Furthermore sugar intake is associated with heart disease, alzheimers and some cancers.

The cliché of the fat American can shortly be abandoned as Europe, China, Thailand etc are getting on the fat-train. The Chinese I know love feeding their precious child hamburgers and sodas as a sign of love. The kid looks like miniature John Candy.

So, I reviewed my eating habits and found that:
I eat a reasonably healthy diet (mostly home-cooked)
I thankfully stayed away from sodas and alcohol (sugar's little brother that gives you a buzz)
However, I did eat a breakfast cereal with sugar every morning, ate candy in the afternoon and evenings, ate candy-colored yoghurts with lunch every day.

Now, eliminating those, I cut my sugar-intake by at least 70%.
As a result, I'm shedding a kilo a week. four weeks now and counting.
I should add that I run three times a week.
And I find that my athletic performance has improved quite dramatically.

But enough about my quite lovely physique.

Is there any chance of turning the suicidal culture of sugar consumption?
I see that the US department of health is putting out information about sodas.
But I doubt that one awareness campaign is going to alert people to what they are doing to themselves.

Disclaimer:
I don't want to tell people what to do with their lives and health.
You can smoke crack for all I care.
I do care about people making informed decisions. And our current culture makes massive sugar consumption normal and hard to stop.

To be honest, i don't see the point.

It is up to a person to make their descisions, and any food product can be part of a diet that keeps one at a reasonable weight.

The issue is that people read this and hear " You can eat what you want and not be hungry.".

Dieting comes in two forms, neither will work for everyone, but the fact they both exist, is a finger in the eye to the " sugar is evil" fad that is slowly taking off.

The first kind, you will feel full, you won't experience stomach issues, and you will lose weight. This is what i refer to as " twigs and grass" dieting. You eat your 3 meals a day, full of healthy things, and as long as you keep within your daily allowance ( 1500 or so calories for a guy my size, is about right. 5"7.) , you'll be fine.

But that never worked for me, i got frustrated, would eat the poor food anyway, but now i also ate a lot of calories of " good" food as well, leading to more weight gain.

The second, is what worked for me. Eat whatever the **** you want, but make sure to keep it at around 1500 calories. Your going to be hungry, your probably going to have some mild stomach issues, but it is a lot easier to keep up.

No single food or food product is " evil" no single food or food product is " good" , it is all in amount. ( when it comes to weight loss.) Count your calories, and you'll be fine. But trust me when i say ( as a gent who was 300 pounds.) it is going to suck, either way.

 

[Dessi]

Now, eliminating those, I cut my sugar-intake by at least 70%.
As a result, I'm shedding a kilo a week. four weeks now and counting.
I should add that I run three times a week.
And I find that my athletic performance has improved quite dramatically.

Congrats!

Is there any chance of turning the suicidal culture of sugar consumption?
I see that the US department of health is putting out information about sodas.
But I doubt that one awareness campaign is going to alert people to what they are doing to themselves.

Here in the US, some schools have eliminated soda from vending machines, I don't know how much it helps.

To answer your question: no. 25-30% of Americans are overweight (source), I don't think that's changing anytime soon.

[anecdote]

My mom is overweight, inactive, smokes. She has fibromyalgia, diabetic, an artificial mitrovalve resulting resulting from a 95% cholesterol blockage in the original, removed gall bladder, she's in the hospital at least 4 months a year for the past 10 years, sleeps with an oxygen mask, she has irritable bowel syndrome, restless leg syndrome, she's had surgery at least dozen times, she takes a blood thinner, she gets sick so often that she's nearly constantly on antibiotics, and the other day I saw a printout of her prescriptions she's on 19 medications. She's 49.

She was telling me the other day that he hates her new endocrinologist, because this endo doc is too blunt. Mom was telling doc about her medications, about her health history, how she's unable to work, and the doc looked at her and said "you're fat". Took my mom by surprise. The doc repeated herself, "you're fat" and explained how all the health problems my mom has aren't just random accidents, they're a product of being 300 lb, inactive, and a 1 1/2 pack a day smoker.

I know about this particular endo doc through another friend, apparently the doc gets hundreds of patients with the exact same life story: overweight, high cholesterol, diabetic, multiple surgeries, dozens of prescriptions. Every single one who loses weight resumes a long, happy, painfree life, and the one's who don't, won't.

[/anecdote]

 

[Weak Kitten]

Personally I find most soft drinks these days disgusting. Even iced tea has enough sugar in it to choke a horse. I've found myself craving food that tastes like food and not like half a cup of sucrose. But it's surprisingly hard to find treats like cookies or candies that only use only a little sugar. It seems like you either get too much or the "healthy" cookies that use none and often taste like tree-bark.

All things in moderation is what I would like but manufacturers of food seem to go for the extremes on one side or the other.

 

[Psi Baba]

Good on ya, Eddie Dane.

It's quite surprising how many foods have corn syrup and sugar added to the finished product.

For example, I went to my folks yesterday for dinner. My mother made a roast. She put out ketchup and a generic steak sauce for my dad (he likes a weird combo of the two), and she had bought some frozen cream puffs for desert. All three products had corn syrup added to them.

Part of the problem is that in the U.S., corn subsidies make it so cheap that corn syrup serves manufacturers two purposes--it's an extremely cheap bulk filler, a way to add inert mass to a food product so that they can use less actual food in the product; and it adds sweetness (while having a neutral taste itself) to the product, which can fool the consumer into thinking it tastes "good" as well as mask any deficiencies in the ingredients that would otherwise make the product unpalatable.

BTW, while Heinz ketchup has HFCS, Hunt's does not. I just discovered that recently myself, and although I can look out of my coworker's office window and see where Heinz ketchup was invented, I feel no brand loyalty whatsoever. It'll be Hunt's from now on.

 

[FattyCatty]

So, I decided to do something about my expanding gut and for the first time in my life started looking into methods of weight loss.

Came across this presentation: Sugar, the bitter truth.
For a short summary, try this one.

And holy crap, was that an eye-opener.

It makes a very compelling case that the epidemic of obesity and diabetes that is currently washing over the developed world, is caused mostly (not exclusively) by refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The latter has been demonised, but refined sugar is just as bad.

I don't think I agree with you. They have about the same results in the body, according to this study:

Abstract

BACKGROUND: We have reported that, compared with glucose-sweetened beverages, consuming fructose-sweetened beverages with meals results in lower 24-h circulating glucose, insulin, and leptin concentrations and elevated triacylglycerol (TG). However, pure fructose and glucose are not commonly used as sweeteners. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has replaced sucrose as the predominant sweetener in beverages in the United States.

OBJECTIVE: We compared the metabolic/endocrine effects of HFCS with sucrose and, in a subset of subjects, with pure fructose and glucose.
<snip>
CONCLUSIONS: Sucrose and HFCS do not have substantially different short-term endocrine/metabolic effects. In male subjects, short-term consumption of sucrose and HFCS resulted in postprandial TG responses comparable to those induced by fructose.

As Brian Dunning says in Skeptoid #157, June 09, 2009:

Now I don't want to bore anyone to death with the whole chemistry thing, but here's a ten-cent definition of terms. Carbohydrates come in basic molecules called monosaccharides, or single sugars. The two monosaccharides we're discussing are glucose and fructose. Regular table sugar is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose, which means that the two monosaccharides are chemically bound into a larger, more complex disaccharide molecule called sucrose. That's sugar. HFCS consists of the same two monosaccharides, only they're just mixed in together, the molecules are not bound. This means that HFCS can come in different blends. The more fructose relative to glucose, the sweeter it is. HFCS 55, which is 55% fructose, has a sweetness comparable to sugar and is used mainly in soft drinks. HFCS 42 is 42% fructose, and is a little less sweet than sugar and is used in most other foods.

When you consume regular sugar, sucrose, the first thing your digestive system does is break the chemical bond and separate it into glucose and fructose. So once saccharides are in your body, it makes very little difference whether they came in as table sugar or as HFCS. You can also cook table sugar, and unbind the saccharides that way. The corn lobby is always saying that HFCS is nutritionally the same as sugar, and this is what they're talking about. The chemistry is actually quite simple. So why the controversy, and why all the scaremongering about the terrors of HFCS?

The fact is that there is huge correlation between HFCS consumption and obesity, and all sorts of obesity related conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Nobody disputes that. The problem arises when people make the common error of mistaking correlation for causation. There's an equally valid correlation between obesity and dirty dishes. The cause of obesity and obesity related diabetes is overeating more calories than you burn. It makes no difference whether you overeat food containing pure cane sugar, food containing HFCS, or organic spinach: Too many calories is too many calories, and you'll become obese and suffer the same obesity related complications no matter what you ate to get you there. Fat is fat.

From the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Expert Blog: Top 10 diabetes myths

I don't know why I got diabetes, I never eat sweets.

Just about everything you eat is converted into glucose — sugar — so for most people with type 2 diabetes, what you eat is not as important as how much you eat. When you overeat, you're adding extra calories your body doesn't need for energy, so your body will convert these extra calories into fat. Being overweight is a predisposing factor for developing diabetes.

Sugar seems to be a driving force behind a lot of human suffering in the developed world.
Because being fat is associated with sloth and lack of discipline, obese people get the double whammy of physical discomfort, depression, low self image and discrimination.

I'm not sure what you mean by "driving force." I don't think there is any evidence that sugar causes obesity. As stated above, eating more than you burn, no matter what it is, causes obesity. You are correct, as far as I know in saying that being fat is stigmatized in U.S. society (the only one I know). And obesity can certainly contribute to physical discomfort, depression, low self image and discrimination.

Furthermore sugar intake is associated with heart disease, alzheimers and some cancers.

Evidence?

<snip>
Now, eliminating those, I cut my sugar-intake by at least 70%.
As a result, I'm shedding a kilo a week. four weeks now and counting.
I should add that I run three times a week.
And I find that my athletic performance has improved quite dramatically.
<snip>

Cutting your calorie intake is what led to your weight loss. The fact that it was sugar you cut doesn't matter, as this study (unfortunately, the full article must be paid for) indicates:

Excess energy intake contributes to weight gain. Although energy output can help balance energy intake for weight control over time, weight loss for most sedentary people can be achieved only by reducing energy intake. ^{1, 2} Despite long-held assumptions that diet composition might influence the rate and overall capacity for weight loss, randomized controlled trials have recently documented that regardless of shifts in total protein, carbohydrate, or fat intake, the bottom line in achieving successful weight loss is adherence to a diet that is reduced in total energy intake. ^{3, 4}
Behaviorally, this involves reducing the total number of calories consumed to achieve an energy deficit over time. Energy-dense foods and beverages such as those with added sugar or fat have more energy per unit weight of food compared with non–energy-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables that contain more water or fiber. 5

I don't know if the running is a new thing or if you were running before. Either way, I would expect it to be easier to run if you were less overweight.

 

[Eddie Dane]

What? I recall that milk, does a body good!



Says the person with a smoking avatar

That picture was taken in 1915, though.
And the guy in the picture did worse things then smoke.

 

[Eddie Dane]

I don't think I agree with you. They have about the same results in the body, according to this study:
As Brian Dunning says in Skeptoid #157, June 09, 2009:From the Mayo Clinic Diabetes Expert Blog: Top 10 diabetes myths


I'm not sure what you mean by "driving force." I don't think there is any evidence that sugar causes obesity. As stated above, eating more than you burn, no matter what it is, causes obesity. You are correct, as far as I know in saying that being fat is stigmatized in U.S. society (the only one I know). And obesity can certainly contribute to physical discomfort, depression, low self image and discrimination.

Evidence?

Cutting your calorie intake is what led to your weight loss. The fact that it was sugar you cut doesn't matter, as this study (unfortunately, the full article must be paid for) indicates: I don't know if the running is a new thing or if you were running before. Either way, I would expect it to be easier to run if you were less overweight.

I have no background in biology or medicine.
All the information in the OP comes from the presentation I linked.
If you disagree, please have a look and see where you disagree.

Central to the thesis is that sugar does much more damage then just bringing in empty calories. It screws with your metabolic system in many more ways.
You seem to see calorie intake as the main culprit behind the obesity epidemic.
This is in direct conflict of what Dr Lustig claims in the presentation, so you might find it interesting to contrast your views with his.

It is academic to me though: I've cut out sugar.
I might cut down my calorie intake, now that you mention it. I haven't really watched that at all and I eat as much fat as I like.

regarding my running: I did already run, but doubled the amount.
I used to run for 30 minutes, three times a week. Now three hours a week.

 

[ServiceSoon]

That picture was taken in 1915, though.
And the guy in the picture did worse things then smoke.

Thanks for sharing. I would have never figured out who that fella was otherwise.

 

[phildonnia]

A lot of "100% juice" products contain white grape juice concentrate, which CSPI rightly called "a very expensive way to make sugar water". Lately, I've been seeing "Organic evaporated cane juice", which I suspect is probably much cheaper.

 

[UKBoy1977]

Sugar:The Bitter Truth does present a convincing looking argument, but looks can be deceptive. There's a lot to be learnt from the following blog post and ensuing comments, with the added bonus that Robert Lustig turns up in them and is quite soundly beaten!

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

One person who appears in the comments whose website I would recommend visiting is James Krieger. It's a paysite now but there are a lot of free articles from before it went subscription only. I would particularly recommend his series of articles on Insulin.

 

[Eddie Dane]

Congrats!


Here in the US, some schools have eliminated soda from vending machines, I don't know how much it helps.

To answer your question: no. 25-30% of Americans are overweight (source), I don't think that's changing anytime soon.

[anecdote]

My mom is overweight, inactive, smokes. She has fibromyalgia, diabetic, an artificial mitrovalve resulting resulting from a 95% cholesterol blockage in the original, removed gall bladder, she's in the hospital at least 4 months a year for the past 10 years, sleeps with an oxygen mask, she has irritable bowel syndrome, restless leg syndrome, she's had surgery at least dozen times, she takes a blood thinner, she gets sick so often that she's nearly constantly on antibiotics, and the other day I saw a printout of her prescriptions she's on 19 medications. She's 49.

She was telling me the other day that he hates her new endocrinologist, because this endo doc is too blunt. Mom was telling doc about her medications, about her health history, how she's unable to work, and the doc looked at her and said "you're fat". Took my mom by surprise. The doc repeated herself, "you're fat" and explained how all the health problems my mom has aren't just random accidents, they're a product of being 300 lb, inactive, and a 1 1/2 pack a day smoker.

I know about this particular endo doc through another friend, apparently the doc gets hundreds of patients with the exact same life story: overweight, high cholesterol, diabetic, multiple surgeries, dozens of prescriptions. Every single one who loses weight resumes a long, happy, painfree life, and the one's who don't, won't.

[/anecdote]

I'm amazed at the amount of suffering people will go through.
Are they really unaware what is causing their health problems?

I don't want to be condescending to people who suffer from obesity, but it sometimes feels like watching someone repeatedly hitting themselves in the face with a hammer.
You feel like saying 'eh, dude. Don't you'd think you'd feel better if you stopped doing that?'

I know two obese people:
One is colleague who stuffs her face with candy all day long. Her husband is skinny little fellow whom we suspect of being a "feeder". Lost in that massive cleavage night after night, I guess.

The other is a friend of mine who goes to work without having breakfast, drinks liters of cola during the day and then overeats at night. He's been diagnosed with diabetes recently.
Used to be in the special forces. Should have stayed in the army IMHO. Have other people decide what he eats.

Sorry to hear about your mom, I hope the doc shocks her into a lifestyle change.

You're looking perky, judging by your avatar.

 

[Eddie Dane]

Sugar:The Bitter Truth does present a convincing looking argument, but looks can be deceptive. There's a lot to be learnt from the following blog post and ensuing comments, with the added bonus that Robert Lustig turns up in them and is quite soundly beaten!

http://www.alanaragonblog.com/2010/01/29/the-bitter-truth-about-fructose-alarmism/

One person who appears in the comments whose website I would recommend visiting is James Krieger. It's a paysite now but there are a lot of free articles from before it went subscription only. I would particularly recommend his series of articles on Insulin.

Interesting!

I'll check that out later.