Researchers at the University of California (San Francisco) are calling for 
government regulation of sugar that compares to alcohol and tobacco regulations. While that may seem odd from the home of Ghirardelli Chocolate and the original Ho-Hos, the researchers cite elevated risks for heart disease, liver failure and obesity in showing that the risks compare to harm from controlled substances. By the way, can you tell the difference between these pictures of sugar and crystal meth? The answer is below, but it appears there is less of a difference on some levels in terms of societal danger.
The researchers note the high toxicity of sugar and add the striking factoid that worldwide obese population now greatly outnumbers the undernourished population. That one surprised me.
They want to see added taxes and, what will be even more controversial, age limits on certain foods and drinks.
The research is found in the journal Nature, which notes that more than two-thirds of the population is overweight and half of them are obese. Those individuals will have shorter life spans on average and a higher rate of such problems as obesity.
My question is how long before Ben and Jerry go to the big house with other sugar pushers like Mrs. Fields. You can throw in all those executives over at Hostess Ho-Hos for a baker’s dozen on the cellblock.
Source: Yahoo
The sugar is on the left, by the way.
Obesity is no joke; it costs billions of dollars in taxpayer and medical cost money a year, maybe even trillions globally. Diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, even cancer are part of this problem. Sugar is definitely at the base of a lot of this along with video games and other advanced technology. About sleep apnea, you cannot lose weight if you have it, or at least it becomes harder to lose weight depending on how bad you have it.
The China Study – http://www.amazon.com/China-Study-Comprehensive-Nutrition-Implications/dp/1932100660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328384544&sr=8-1
Awesome book. I’m only halfway through, and the big idea is- no meat, all plants- the closer to their natural form the better. Also, exercise. This should be a high school required reading.
Then again, it requires you to be personally responsible for your own life. So the gov’t would never have it.
Oh, joy, more control. Just what we need!
If only they regulated radioactive toxins and texting like they do alkyhaul.
The Federal Bureau of Politician, Asshole, Idiot, and Nitwit Regulation. (PAIN). Those required to register are branded with a big “WTF” across their forehead.
While we’re at it, let’s regulate and tax idiots, assholes, and politicians. They cause much more damage than sugar or alcohol.
More regulations on personal behavior?
Instead, how about re-regulating the financial sector. Enough laws for us; how about some for them?
Per my comment on the brain thread below, I worked in the addiction field for 29 years
This story makes good jokes, and serious debate from the libertarians. But, as far as the addictive properties, and other societal consequences, it’s true. Sugar is a nasty substance.
What’s near my first question when interviewing a substances abuser? Diet, particularly soda, or what they call pop in the South. Often excessive, (favorite being Mountain Dew with the most sugar and caffeine) It goes right along with nicotine in the typical profile of an abuser. And the whole syndrome is interactive, with variations based on particular drug/alcohol.
And, yes, sugar along is bad enough. Of course.
A couple of food documentary lists
http://lettuceeatkale.com/2010/10-top-documentary-food-films/
http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/08/serious-green-a-guide-to-environmental-food-related-movies-documentary-films.html
And that’s not the only way the body fights the modern man — some really bad news for the chronically overweight:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/magazine/tara-parker-pope-fat-trap.html?pagewanted=all
The body evolved to desire sugar and fat on a non-stop basis. Both are high calorie items but hard to come by in nature. There is no satiation point in their consumption, unlike bread stuff or beans or green leafy things
I don’t think regs like no or don’t or stop will work –damn it, this is America. Get you hands off my super sized Big Mac and Coke.
The better way is to change our food policies. May I suggest
http://www.foodincmovie.com/
and
http://www.forksoverknives.com/
I watch these two DVDs whenever I start to go off the vegan wagon
Finally someone has mood to propose regulation of sugar!
As I was younger I myself begged my parents to hide the sweets from me as my self-control was not good enough to resist. That was the only think which prevented me from obesity.
Ah yes, another reason for government control of health care. We need to be saved from ourselves.
If people would put the damn twinky down and eat an orange or a banana we wouldnt need the nanny state to tell us sugar is bad for us.
One thing good about socialized medicine is that it will make fat people get thin or else.
You will be healthy for the good of the state, Sig Heil.
Eat your mother lovin veggies or we will put you in the camps to become thin.
All in the name of saving money on health care. Of course obese and over-weight people are a considerable drag on health care dollars as many diseases are caused or exacerbated by obesity.
I figured the righties would be doing the meth. Some one is going to have to take on the sugar lobby. Good luck. They have that Rubio guy whose parents fled Castro in 1956 to come to the state of Florida who is now in the Senate. Then when Castro took over out of the blue in 1959 they wanted to go back but he would not let them back in for nothing. So if they fled Batista and not Castro that is neither here nor there and he is not a liar–just a guy whose parents told him a fib about the year he was born and where and the history of his parents home country by three years.
Pssssttt…Hey buddy, you wanna score a 5 lb bag of C&H Pure Cane?
I am in the camp that Corn Syrup should be regulated…after it is altered it is much more toxic than raw sugar….