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Editorial
Are sugar, carbs really worse than smoking?
Thursday, April 23, 2015
"I want that red velvet
I want that sugar sweet
Don't let nobody touch it
Unless that somebody's me"
It's a catchy tune on the radio, but if Maroon 5's weakness was really about sucrose, they'd be setting themselves for a whole range of illnesses.
In fact, according to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the sugar and carbohydrates that are staples of the modern diet are doing us more harm than physical inactivity, alcohol and smoking combined.
And don't think that you can run off that sugary soda or powder sugar-coated pastry with a few minutes of exercise. New research suggests that athletes would be better off adopting a high fat, low-carb diet rather than loading up on carbs before intense exercise.
Evidence suggests that up to 40 percent of the people within a normal body mass index range will have metabolic abnormalities similar to those with obesity, because of sugar and carbohydrates in the diet.
Diabetes increases 11 times for every 150 additional sugar calories consumed daily, compared to an equivalent amount of calories consumed as fat.
The publication called for an overhaul of food industry tactics, which it described as "chillingly similar to those of Big Tobacco," deploying denial, doubt, confusion and "bent scientists" to convince the public that smoking was not linked to lung cancer.
It also called for an end to celebrity endorsements of sugary drinks and the association of junk food with sports, and said health clubs and gyms should remove those types of products from their premises.
Public health messaging should stop focusing on maintaining a healthy weight, and concentrate more on the source of calories, the publication contends, saying sugar calories promote fat storage and hunger, while fat calories induce fullness or satiation."
We've watched public opinion swing from low fat to low carb to gluten-free and back, but in the end, we're responsible for maintaining a healthy diet and adequate exercise for ourselves and our families.
Public policy, however, should make it as easy and economical as possible for us to consume as much fresh produce and unprocessed foods as possible.