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Where do you stand on the HFCS debate?

Posted on Oct 10th 2008 6:00PM by Maggie Vink

Filed Under: Nutrition & Supplements

Kristen told us about the recently-launched high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) ad campaign. By now, you've probably seen the commercials. The ads bother me to no end. Not only because they imply that HFCS is natural ("it's made from corn") but because of the disturbing way the people are portrayed.

The people who are concerned about HFCS in the commercials come off rude, condescending, and uninformed. Seriously. Would you actually tell a friend that you don't think they care what they feed their kids? On the other hand, the people who think HFCS is fine are knowledgeable and polite. Personally, I think the commercials poke fun at people who are health-conscious and care about what they put in their bodies.

CBS News launched an investigation and found that three of the six studies supporting the Corn Refiners Association's claim that HFCS is no different than sugar were funded by organizations that stand to profit from HFCS acceptance. It's not unusual for parties with a vested interest to fund studies, but it does give reason to raise a questioning eyebrow.

[via FitSugar]

What's your opinion about HFCS?
I believe the commercials. HFCS is fine in moderation.	5 (4.3%)
I try to minimize HFCS in my diet, but I'm not overly concerned.	30 (25.9%)
The whole debate has me totally confused.	5 (4.3%)
The commercials are misleading. HFCS is bad for your health.	76 (65.5%)

Source

5 Comment

Tags: ad, advertisement, commercial, corn, Corn-Refiners-Association, corn-syrup, HFCS, high-fructuse-corn-syrup, sugar, Sweet-Surprise, sweetener, sweeteners

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Christina 10-10-2008 @ 6:50PM

Everything in moderation is classic advice for a reason. Getting too overly neurotic about everything is bad for your health too, you know.

MDA Kid 10-13-2008 @ 11:45AM

Saw these commercials awhile back and wasn't sure what to make of them. Of course, any way you dice it, they're comparing HFCS to sugar, which isn't healthy either.

... 10-10-2008 @ 8:18PM

Saying something is "like sugar" or "made from corn" doesn't at all imply it's healthy. It has been claimed rather often that sugar and corn are bad for people's health.

Artificially colored sweetened water is just not as healthy as plain water whether it's made with sugar, HFCS, or sugar substitutes. Having a moderate amount of red-colored sugar water, plus a moderate amount of candy and cookies, plus a moderate amount of sugar in breakfast cereals, and then even throwing in a moderate amount of fruit will still add up to extremely high and unhealthy levels of sugar and/or sugar substitutes.

I don't think the HFCS proponents in the commercials come off as knowledgeable at all. The apathetic attitude the HFCS people are taking towards sweet foods seems to suggest that they think nothing of indulging in sweets on a regular basis, and that's way too often no matter if it's HFCS or standard sugar.

Getting a whole one-gallon jug of sweetened colored water is far more than just "moderate", especially when all sweetened water on the market is made to be extremely sickeningly sweet in the first place. It takes mixing about 20 parts of plain water with 1 part of sweetened colored water to reach a "moderate" level of sweetness.

marcie0305 10-10-2008 @ 11:12PM

I think the fact that they are producing these commercials means they know they are in trouble, and trying to convince people to buy their products. Be educated, know the facts, and don't pay attention to advertisements like this.

Amy 10-15-2008 @ 9:36AM

HFCS is a chemically alterered product that our bodies do not recognize. It does not satify a sweet tooth, it only makes us hungrier. Keep away from it like it is MSG, which we know is a neurotoxin.