Abby+W.+-+POSITION+PAPER

HOW SHOULD THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC BE ADDRESSED? Remove High Fructose Corn Syrup from our diets.

Bruce Barton, an American author, advertising executive, and politician who also served in the U.S. Congress, once said "Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress."(Bruce Barton).

One of the recent changes that has become an epidemic in the United States is obesity, the state of having too much body fat, because of the major factor: increased use of the new form of sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Corn syrup allows for easy consumption of the growing portion sizes of foods and drinks. Kim Severson, a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer, wrote “The country eats more sweetener made from corn than from sugarcane or beets, gulping it down in drinks as well as in frozen food and baked goods. Even ketchup is laced with it” (Severson 1). Newer processed foods that include this sweetener are causing the U.S. to be the most obese leading nation in the world. Barbara Wexler, an author for man books about human health and fitness, wrote “In 2009, despite the widespread prevalence of H1N1 influenza, Americans still named obesity as one of the top five most urgent health problems facing the nation” (Wexler 175, 176). This epidemic began in the 1970s and its cause is linked back to the Green Revolution, when food became abundant and high fructose corn syrup was created.

The Green Revolution started after World War II with the ideas of Norman Borlaug, a man who had the dream to end world hunger. In order to produce ample food for nations across the world, new technology was needed. Edward Riedinger, a professor at library faculty and the history department at The Ohio State University, wrote “It chemically increased the fertility of soils rather than naturally renewing them, thereby requiring ever more intensive and costly fertilizers… [and] began to employ the use of HYV [(high-yield variety)] seeds, enlarged the area of land under cultivation, expanded irrigation, mechanized farming, and intensively applied chemical fertilizers and pesticides” (Riedinger 1,2). Although the seeds were genetically manipulated, the result created an abundance of crops, which even fed cattle so there were more cattle too. These large amounts of food allowed for lower prices and production of processed foods. Ayesha Rasheed, a student athlete at Stanford University who is majoring in history, summarized the process that made HFCS: corn kernels are shelled and soaked in a solution, then sent to a degirminating mill, where the rest of the kernel passes screens with water to extract corn starch, which is treated with enzymes to make the glucose into fructose, which is purified to make HFCS (Rasheed 2). This new process of creating a sweetener had a reaction that created a major problem. Mike Adams, a Health Ranger editor for NaturalNews.com, quoted Andreas Moritz who wrote: “Since the fructose in corn syrup does neither stimulate insulin secretion nor reduce the hunger hormone ghrelin, you will continue to feel hungry while the body converts the fructose into fat" (Andreas Moritz qtd in Adams 1). The issue of not feeling full allows Americans to continue eating and become more obese, therefore HFCS plays a key role in the obesity epidemic.

Major food industries realized the opportunity to sweeten their products with lower costs and just about every food item was changed so their labels included high fructose corn syrup. Wexler wrote “Since the 1970s high-fructose corn syrup had been used to sweeten nearly every product on the supermarket shelves, from cereal to soda” (Wexler 18). Due to the high exposure of corn syrup to all Americans- all consumers created a reaction to the product. David Zinczenko, a writer for Men’s Health magazine, wrote “there are more than 300 million people living in America, and of those, more than 200 million are overweight or obese” (Zinczenko 1). By consuming high fructose corn syrup, in addition to other factors, about 42% of the nation had become obese and the extent was massive because all generations were affected. Rasheed also stated that not only does HFCS intake directly correlates with the rising rates of American obesity, but diabetes too. (Rasheed 3). Overall, HFCS has allowed companies to make their products cheaper, but consumers whether they know it or not, are allowing themselves to eat more and potentially gain weight and become diabetic. Thus, the Green Revolution, although well intentioned, was instrumental in creating hungry people who shouldn't be hungry.

Obesity was not a prominent issue before the Green revolution because World War II set almost every country in a position of hunger. Wayne Rasmussen, a former chief historian for the United States Department of Agriculture, wrote in his article about world hunger “World War II ended with American farmers reaching the highest levels of food production ever in 1945 and 1946” (Rasmussen 1). Farmers could not produce any more food without Norman Borlaug’s ideas, which resulted with the abundance of food that allowed for the costs to lower. The lower prices and high amounts allowed for more uses of the food-like creating corn syrup. Rasheed also wrote, “the concept of deriving sweet syrups from starches date back to the Napoleonic Wars…Europe (and later, the rest of the world) raced to create syrups that would both taste as sweet as sucrose (aka table sugar) and crystallize easily” (Rasheed 1, 2). It was not until the 20th century that the U.S. could produce this sweetener because new technology and extra food were not present. After the new form of sugar was created new, more processed foods were placed on the shelf and this has caused a major issue in America. Lisa Young and Marion Nestle, assistant professor and professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University, wrote “ The portion sizes of commonly consumed foods appear to have increased size during the past 20 years…contributing to the increased prevalence of overweight and obesity since the 1970s” (Young, Nestle 231). In addition to consuming more food, David Cutler, Edward Glaeser, both Professors of Economics, and Jesse Shapiro, a Ph.D. student in economics, all at Harvard University, Cambridge, and Massachusetts wrote “The available evidence suggests that calories expended have not changed significantly since 1980” (Cutler, Glaeser, Shapiro 1). Overeating and having a high caloric intake are circumstances that produce obesity and are only possible with ample food to eat from the Green Revolution technology.

The processing of corn syrup contributed to the obesity epidemic greatly. The issue of obesity was not prominent throughout history before the boom in agriculture. James Martell, a writer and blogger for TheHistoyOf.net, wrote “Those diets that did exist, whenever a prince or bishop decided that not being able to move around freely was a problem, involved no more than a slight reduction in quantity of the same food" (Martell 1). although the numbers were low, the few obese addressed this issue by dieting. Past solutions and dieting using contain a type of food cut or more exercise, but they commonly fail because of the massive commitment one must make to lose weight. Daniel DeNoon, a senior medical writer from WebMD, wrote “people who want to achieve and maintain a healthy weight should start working at lifestyle changes managing stress without food, and getting treatment for depression and other illnesses that get in the way” (DeNoon 3). Obesity continues today because the issue's past solutions have failed and it has become an epidemic that has affected everyone. Kathleen Parker, a column ist for the Washington Post, wrote in a column about the obesity epidemic "Getting fat has never been easier, of course" (Parker 1). Portion sizes have changed, but what instigates and allows for this change in palette is the replacement of sugar.

With the current situation of one third of Americans being considered as obese and many dieting programs failing, we can fix the problem by changing our diets towards natural sweeteners in place of corn syrup. This recommendation will allows one to easily know what portion size to eat, thus decreasing obesity in the U.S. Michael Krebs, a Digital Journalist based in New Jersey, quoted Dr. Mark Hyman, a writer for the Huffington Post, who said “‘the current media debate about the benefits (or lack of harm) of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in our diet misses the obvious’ Hyman wrote ‘The average American increased their consumption of HFCS (mostly from sugar sweetened drinks and processed food) from zero to over 60 pounds per year’” (Hyman qtd in Krebs 2). The rising consumption rates of HFCS have called researcher to find whether HFCS is healthier than average sugar and controversy continues today comparing calories and how the sweetener is digested. High fructose corn syrup chemically does not send insulin throughout your body, your brain does not recognize when the body is full (Andreas Moritz qtd in Adams 1). By simply removing corn syrup from our diets, we continue to receive the sweet taste in foods, yet it is natural and does not prevent the body from anything. Parker also wrote, "Food is plentiful and convenient, and the bad stuff is tasty and cheap" (Parker 1). The switch of sweeteners will not come overnight, so grocery stores need to promote organic foods. We can make the change from HFCS to sugar by educating consumers, removing the current corn subsidies, and enforcing grocery stores to decrease the amount of shelf food (mostly foods with HFCS) they provide.

In order to stimulate a large nation-wide change, the education part of the plan must be enacted. Knowledge is a key factor to control what goes into one's body and if it is lacking, then of course two-thirds of the nation is obese. Alan Greenblatt, a staff writer for Congressional Quarterly's Governing magazine, wrote "Physical Education is being dropped by schools even as fattening snack foodsare welcomed onto campus" (Greenblatt 1). The current lack of responsibily of health and education at young ages need to be fixed. Education for all ages, especially children is necessary and one way of executing this education expansion is described in Wexler's book when she wrote, "They want to sharply limit the advertising of sugary products to children, ban the sale of soft drinks in schools, and conduct widespread community health education programs to inform Americans about the health risks" (Wexler 130). Not only with education help decrease obesity, but diminishing the corn subsidies and equaling them out among other plants. Malcom Sanford, Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida, wrote "The low cost is only true, however, because of the vast scale of the highly subsidized corn-processing industry" (Sanford 1). If healthier foods were the same cost as processed and unhealthy food, obesity would not be an epidemic. By attacking corn subsidies, enforcing groceries to promote organic food, and educating society, removing HFCS will be possible. The obesity epidemic should be addressed by removing high fructose corn syrup from the American diet because it allows one to be in control of how much they consume.

Replacing HFCS with sugar would not cause the wanted change in obesity because sugars and sweeteners are identical. Some researchers, mostly producers of corn syrup like Corn Refiners Association, argue that the two sweeteners: sugar-cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup have no difference and therefore, can be used in all types of foods. SweetSurprise.com, a website that works with Corn Refiners Association, a group that is involved with the corn-refining and wet-milling industry, wrote “Sugar and HFCS have the same number of calories as most carbohydrates; both contribute 4 calories per gram. They are also equal in sweetness”. In addition to similar calories, corn companies believe corn syrup is just as natural as sugar-cane sugar, claiming “[Sugars] all go through remarkably similar production methods that aim to refine the raw botanical material into a food grade standard sweetener that can be formulated into a wide range of foods and beverages”. Since the sweeteners are similar everywhere, the one discrete difference is the chemical structure. “Sugar and HFCS contain nearly the same one-to-one ratio of two sugars-fructose and glucose: Sugar is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. High Fructose corn syrup is sold principally in two formations- 42 percent and 55 percent fructose –with the balance made up of primarily glucose and higher sugars”. The close percentages and all other identical information, many people believe that sugar and HFCS are the same, so removing HFCS from our diets would not make a prominent change, if still consuming table sugar.

Consumers are so caught up in monitoring their caloric intake, since overeating is an issue, but they are missing the major difference. Although, the percentages are close in numbers, the ratios have a strong impact within the body when digesting. Wexler wrote, “Fructose also appears to trigger fat storage more efficiently than other sugars do…the fructose encourages the liver to promote fat by activation enzymes that create higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (fatty substances that are normally present in the bloodstream and all cells of the body) and make muscles more insulin resistant” (Wexler 18). The slight change in proportions not only allows more fat to be stored, but our bodies do not know when they are full (with the lack of insulin) and they are prone to diseases. Wexler also wrote “Insulin resistance can lead to diabetes” (Wexler 18). Overall, the sweeteners may seem the same from an outer perspective, but the effects of HFCS show it is not the same.

By removing HFCS out of our diets at home, we are lessening the chance of obesity caused by overeating and diseases that are linked with the sweetener.

Corn syrup is a part of a broad corn agricultural group that would deteriorate by removing the product from American diets. The current cheap prices for food are a result of subsidies that has benefited many Americans, especially lower classes. Mark Bittman, an Opinion columnist and the Times magazine's food columnist, wrote “The farm bill, up for renewal in 2012, includes an agricultural subsidy portion worth up to $30 billion, $5 billion of which is what you might call handouts, direct payments to farmers” (Bittman 2). Although farming is successful, they are not helping the issue with obesity because “The subsidy suckers don’t grow the fresh fruits and vegetables that should be dominating our diet…they grow what they are paid to grow: corn, soy, wheat, cotton and rice” (Bittman 2). Since an abundance of grains are grown, most foods are related or used with the grain, in this case: corn. Bittman claims that, “For the typical American diet-featuring an unnaturally large consumption of meat, never-before-seen junk food and a bizarre avoidance of plants-- as well as the fortunes of Pepsi, Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC and others that have relied on cheap corn and soy to build their empires of unhealthy food…prices for these foods are unjustifiably low” (Bittman 2). If corn syrup was removed, the meat, sweets, corn, and most foods we eat will be much more expensive and would harm the economy.

With the current economic state of the nation, most citizens buy whatever they can. At the moment, the inexpensive foods contain high fructose corn syrup and are on the unhealthy side. By removing HFCS from our diets, the subsidies may be equally spread, therefore more fruits and vegetables may be grown.

The removal of HFCS is necessary to allow prices of fruits and vegetables to not be so expensive and allow the corn companies to concentrate on their other, more important products.

Grocery stores and food companies may object to the removal of high fructose corn syrup from the American diet because of the sweetener’s impact on shelf life for their foods. These types of people could make this argument because corn syrup allows foods to last longer and stay relatively fresh. On the SweetSurprise.com website, an organization associated with Corn Refiners Association, wrote on their Unique Benefits of HFCS and Table Sugar page, “High fructose corn syrup promotes freshness, inhibiting microbial spoilage by reducing water activity and extending shelf life through superior moisture control” (2). This allows the products that have HFCS as an ingredient to be used in stores more and have excessive amounts of it also. Without HFCS these highly consumed foods would need to be made and replaced often to prevent rotting or spoiling.

The foods with HFCS are usually not even the healthiest foods for someone, calorie wise so grocery stores should not be carrying the foods in the first place. Without the artificially sweetened foods, grocery stores can provide more organic food like fruits and vegetables, which may not have the longest shelf life either, but if they are being consumed more often, would not need it.

If HFCS was removed from foods, then stores would have to keep more organic foods without HFCS in it to allow the food to stay preserved. Then without as much fructose in one’s diet, the nation’s obesity rates will lower.

The foods Americans are choosing continue to cause the nation to become obese and unhealthy. Since health affects everyday lives of all humans by allowing them to function properly, this issue must be addressed immediately. While many solutions are advertised, the one that trumps all is removing high fructose corn syrup from our diets. This action could cause many issues. The removal may make Americans struggle to pay for more organic foods, grocers to be reluctant to remove certain foods, and stir up confusion with table sugar, but by closely planning how the future would work with the removal of HFCS, it remains a very reasonable solution. Not only will it decrease obesity, it will also allow Americans to live healthier (which leads to a happier) life. The change is easy. All it takes is a simple switch from processed foods like pop and chips to less or not at all processed foods like lemon water and crackers. If this issue is not addressed promptly and ignored, the health of our nation will deteriorate in many ways-economically, personally, and future generations will be unhealthy. We need to realize that change starts at home, where one makes choices what foods to buy and eat. It is necessary that we stay in control of what we consume by removing HFCS, instead of processed foods damaging our bodies. Annita Manning, once said “High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?” (Manning)

Annotated Bibliography:

Adams, Mike. "High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Diabetes: What the Experts Say." Natural Health News. Natural News Network, 17 June 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. .

This web article is a secondary source written by Mike Adams, a Health Ranger editor for NaturalNews.com. In this article, Adams had quotes about High Frctose Corn Syrup from different natural health authors. This source helps me to find credible facts that relate to the reaction to the sugar.

Barton, Bruce. "Change Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 6 May 2012. .

This web page is apart of BrainyQuote, a website that has collected many quotes by subject. On this page, a quote by Bruce Barton, an American author, advertising executive, and politician who also served in the U.S. Congress, related to the overall Nation History Day theme, which obviously stood out and related to my topic too. This source provided me with a strong opening quote to my paper.

Bittman, Mark. "Don't End Agricultural Subsidies, Fix Them." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 1 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <[]>.

This newspaper article is a secondary source written by Mark Bittman, an Opinion columnist and the Times magazine's food columnist. In this source, Bittman pushes for a change in agricultural subsidies and provides information about the money. This source helps attack my position because it shows how the subsidies make food cheap and available for many.

Corn Refiners Association. "Myth vs. Facts." Myths vs. Facts about High Fructose Corn Syrup. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .

This web page is a primary source and is published by Corn Refiners Association, a corn refining industry who has launched a national educational campaign to provide science-based information to everyone. On this page, frequent misunderstandings about HIgh Fructose Corn Syrup are addressed and answered with credible information. This article aids as a group of people who may be against my solution to the obesity epidemic (removing HFCS from our diets).

Cutler, David M., Edward L. Glaeser, and Jesse M. Shapiro. "Why Have Americans Become More Obese?" Journal of Economic Perspectives 17.3 (2003): 93-118. Chicago Booth. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <[]>.

This web article is a secondary source written by David Cutler, a Professor of Economics, Edward Glaeser, a Professor of Economics,and Jesse Shapiro, a Ph.D. student in economics, all at Harvard University, Cambridge, and Massachusetts. In this article, Cutler, Glaeser, and Shapiro provide surveys, graphs, and tests to provide supporting material to their research about America's history and past trends of obesity. This source gives me information about the history of my topic and what caused it.

DeNoon, Daniel J. "Diet Don't Work Long-Term." WebMD. WebMD Publishing Services, 2007. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <[] >.

This web article from an online magazine is a primary source written by Daniel DeNoon, a senior medical writer for WebMD. In this source, DeNoon describes how diets work for most and why many fail. This source helps me understand the past solutions to obesity and develop my historical part of my paper.

Greenblatt, Alan (2003, January 31). Obesity epidemic. CQ Researcher, 13, 73-104. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/>.

This web article is a secondary source written by Alan Greenblatt, a staff writer for Congressional Quarterly's Governing magazine. In this source, Greenblatt describes the overview, background, current situation, and even outlook on the obesity epidemic. This source provides information for many different parts of my paper.

Krebs, Michael. "In sugar versus 'corn sugar' products, both are very bad for you." Digital Journal (May 2011): n. pag. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. <[]>.

This journal article is a secondary source written by Michael Krebs, a Digital Journalist based in New Jersey. In this source, Krebs compares table sugar and high fructose corn syrup by calories, sweetness, amount of processing, how many foods the sweetener is in, etc. This source allows me to compare the increasing uses of HFCS and correlate it with the obesity epidemic for my position to decrease its usage.

Manning, Annita. "Top 5 Quotes about Processed Food." Achieve Permanent Weight Loss. Web. 6 May 2012. .

This web page provides quotes about processed foods, one of which is by Annita Manning. In the quote, Manning brings forth the issue about processed foods hurting us instead of providing us with adequate energy. This quote helped close my paper powerfully.

Martell, James. "The History of Dieting- Our Love of Food." TheHistoryOf.net. N.p., 11 Sept. 2008. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. <[]>.

This web article is a secondary source written by James Martell, an Internet entrepreneur that writes and blogs for TheHistoryOf.net. In this source, Martell describes the few obese people in history (who were mostly healthy) and writes how they would diet. This source helps me understand the issue of m topic's background.

Parker, Kathleen. "Obesity Epidemic Has Simple Cause." The Washington Post. Print.

This newspaper article is a secondary source written by Kathleen Parker, a columnist for the Washington Post. In this article, Parker describes the rising issue of obesity and how it affects all Americans. This source helps me understand the history and present information about the obesity epidemic.

Rasheed, Ayesha. "High Fructose Corn Syrup: History, Spread, and Consumption." Cosmos UCDavis. N.p., 25 July 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. .

This web article is a secondary source written by Ayesha Rasheed, a student athlete at Stanford University and also majoring in history. In this article, Rasheed writes about the history of sweeteners, how HFCS spread throughout the world, and effects of its consumption. This source provides in depth information about the production of High Fructose Corn Syrup, which illustrates how processed the sugar is.

Rasmussen, Wayne D., and Jane M. Porter. "Strategies For Dealing With World Hunger: Post-World War II Policies."American Journal Of Agricultural Economics 63.5 (1981): 810. Business Source Premier. Web. 14 Apr. 2012.<[|http://web.ebscohost.com/] >.

This web academic article is a secondary source written by Wayne Rasmussen, a former chief historian for the United States Department of Agriculture. In this article, Rasmussen addresses the state of world food supply after World War II. This source serves as historical information for my topic: obesity after the Green Revolution.

Riedinger, Edward A. "Green Revolution." The Seventies in America. Ed. John C. Super. 3 vols. Salem Press, 2006.Salem History Web. 11 Apr. 2012. <[|http://history.salempress.com/] >.

This web article is a secondary source written by Edward Riedinger, formerly part of the library faculty and a professor in the history department at The Ohio State University. In this article, Riedinger addresses the creating, progress, critiques, impacts, and subsequent events related to the Green Revolution. This source is being used for my project because it provides in depth information about the Green Revolution, which is part of my topic.

Sanford, T, Malcolm.. "High Fructose Corn Syrup: A Revolution in the Making (Part II)." Bee Culture. 01 Jul. 2004: 19. eLibrary. Web. 16 May. 2012..

This article is a secondary source written by Malcom Sanford, Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida. In this source, Sanford describes the history of corn syrup and how it has impact health and food in general. This source allows me to understand HFCS's background and how to fix the issue.

Severson, Kim. "Sugar Coated: We're drowning in high fructose corn syrup. Do the risks go beyond our waistline?" San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Communications Inc., 18 Feb. 2004. Web. 19 Apr. 2012. .

This newspaper article is a primary source written by Kim Severson, a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. In this source, Severson addresses the high usage of high fructose corn syrup and brings attention to potential affects of the sugar. This source is helpful for my project because it provides history and current information about the sweetener, which helps me answer my research question.

Wexler, Barbara. Weight in America: Obesity, Eating Disorders, and Other Health Risks. Wylie, Texas: Information Plus, n.d. Print.

This book is a secondary source written by Barbar Wexler, an author for numerous books about human health and wellness. In this book, Wexler expands on the topic of obesity with its history, relationships with health, the economy, who it affects, political issues, steps for prevention, and facts presented in many formats. This source provides much supporting for my project because it has broad and yet specific detail about obesity and HFCS.

Young, Lisa R., and Marion Nestle. "The Contribution of Expanding Portion Sizes to the US Obesity Epidemic." American Journal of Public Health 92.2 (2002): 246-49. 2 Feb. 2002. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. .

This journal article is a primary source written and collected by Lisa Young, a nationally recognized portion-size expert,and Marion Nestle, a Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health. In this journal, Young and Nestle examined foods and researched the historical background of the changes in food to find the wanted outcome (the relation between obesity and portion sizes). This source helps me with the historical part of my research.

Zinczenko, David. "Stuffed: The weighty truth behind restaurant portion sizes." Today Health. Rodale Inc., 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. .

This web article is a primary source written by David Zinczenko, a writer for Men’s Health magazine. In this source, Zinczenko addresses raising issues related to obesity and compares the proper portion size to reality-what people actually eat. This source provides me with a broad view about obesity and who it affects.