PSE4U
Battling the 21st Century
Obesity Epidemic
ISU Research Paper
Samantha Adeli
Semester 1, 2014-2015
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patient in the care of the human
frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.” –Thomas Edison⁶
⁶
Fulkerson, Lee, dir. Forks Over Knives. Prod. John Corry, and Brian Wendel. 2011. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
The World Health Organization has announced that “Childhood obesity is one of the most
serious public health challenges of the 21st century.”1 The battle against childhood obesity is one that, in
theory, seems simple, but in reality is very complex. The plethora of challenges these children face do
not exist only in the home, but stem from the food industry’s domination of political influence and their
financially-motivated control of scholastic and business institutions. Even Staples, a store for office
supplies, has candy and junk food at the cash!
There is no question that in the past few decades, obesity rates have been increasing at an
overwhelming rate (See Figure 12). This can be seen not only by simple observation, but from an
abundance of studies and surveys conducted. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has
been keeping track of childhood obesity rates in America since 1963. From 1963 to 1970, 4.6% of
children aged 12-19 were obese. The most recent survey conducted by this organization showed that
from 2007-2008, this percentage had risen to 18.1%.3 This data is supported by the U.S Department of
1
"Childhood overweight and obesity." World Health Organization. World Health Organization. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/childhood/en/>.
2
Figure 1 Trends in obesity among children and adolescents: United States, 1963-2008. N.d. Graphic. First
HealthWeb. 4 Oct 2014. <https://www.firsthealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/obesity-chart.gif>.
3
Marks, Shannon. Livestrong, 24 Oct 2013. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://www.livestrong.com/article/364363-the-history-of-obesity-in-children/>.
1
Health and Human Services, which states that over 1 in 6 American children and adolescents aged 6-19
are obese.4
What is the cause of
this epidemic, and how is
the food industry at fault? Is
it possible for obese children
to turn their lives around
and fight back when they
are literally addicted to what
is causing their obesity? We
are currently in the middle
of a health crisis, but those
who are supposed to be in
charge of our health are
turning a blind eye. If
something is not done soon,
almost everyone in North
America’s future will be at
stake.
A 15-year-old boy with a BMI
of 23 would be in the healthy
weight category (5th percentile
to less than 85th percentile)
Children and
adolescents classified as
“obese” are those who have
a BMI, body mass index,
equal to or greater than the
95th percentile (See Figure 7
5
). Your BMI is calculated as
your weight divided by your
height squared, and serves
to measure your weight
based on the healthy weight for someone of your height.
4
Bethesda, MD, . "Overweight and Obesity Statistics."U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National
Institute of Diabetes and and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/PDFs/stat904z.pdf>.
5
"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention." About BMI for Children and Teens. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Web Image. 5 Oct 2014.
<http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi.html>.
2
Chapter 1: The Cause and the History of the Obesity Epidemic
“Let food be thy medicine” –Hypocrites6
It is often heard that obesity is a direct cause of inactivity. According to the U.S Department of
Health and Human Services, in 2003 and 2004 only 7.6% of American children aged 6-19 were getting
the 60 recommended minutes of physical activity per day.⁴ It is common knowledge that our lifestyles in
North America are becoming increasingly sedentary, but in order to properly analyze the relation
between exercise and the growing obesity rate, it is important to compare the trends in exercise to
these obesity statistics.
Exercise was not a prominent part of modern
society until the 1950s. In 1953, a team led by Dr. Jerry
Morris reported the link between physical activity and
health, as well as physical activity and weight loss.7ʼ8̛̛̛̕̕ At
around the same time, Jack Lalanne (see Figure 89), known
as “the godfather of fitness” and an “American fitness
guru”10, was promoting exercise and fitness on his
television show, “The Jack Lalanne Show”, that aired from
1953 to 198511. Lalanne is well known for inventing some of
the pieces of exercise equipment that we still use adapted
versions of today, such as the leg extension machine, and the Figure 8: Jack Lalanne
Smith machine (used for weight training)¹⁰. Most popular
exercise equipment has also only been invented since the 1950s. The treadmill, for example, was not
used as an exercise tool (it was used only in manufacturing) until 1952, when Dr. Robert A. Bruce from
the University of Washington started using it for stress tests on humans. By the 60s, it was common for
⁴Bethesda, MD, . "Overweight and Obesity Statistics."U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National
Institute of Diabetes and and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/PDFs/stat904z.pdf>.
6
Fulkerson, Lee, dir. Forks Over Knives. Prod. John Corry, and Brian Wendel. 2011. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
7
Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
8
Alcantara, Sally. "Professor Jerry Morris: Scientist who first demonstrated the link between exercise and
health." Independent. N.p., 1 Dec 2009. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-jerry-morris-scientist-who-first-demonstrated-thelink-between-exercise-and-health-1831678.html>.
9
Jack Lalanne. N.d. Photograph. Let Life InWeb. 30 Nov 2014. <http://www.letlifein.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/02/jack-lalanne-3.jpeg>.
10
"The History of Exercise Equipment | LIVESTRONG.COM." 2010. 30 Nov. 2014
<http://www.livestrong.com/article/274001-the-history-of-exercise-equipment/>
11
"Jack LaLanne - Home." 2002. 30 Nov. 2014 <http://www.jacklalanne.com/>
3
treadmills to be found in homes and gyms all over North America.¹⁰ Resistance bands (strips of elastics
used as strengthening tools) were only first used in 1980 by Dick Hartzell, a football coach.¹⁰
Figure 9: Year-by-year Entrants for the Boston Marathon
Fitness clubs (or gyms) were not common
until around the 1950s as well. Jack Lalanne opened
the very first modern “gym”, or health club in 1936.¹¹
The largest health club today in the United States, 24
Hour Fitness,12 as well as the health club which is
currently the largest in Canada, GoodLife Fitness,
were both not founded until 1979.13
Since the 1950s, numbers of people running
races have skyrocketed as well. The Boston
Marathon, one of the largest marathons (by entrants)
in North America, had only eighteen participants its
first year (1897), whereas in 2014 it had 35,755
entrants. The number of entrants did not enter the
thousands until 1968 and has been increasing
exponentially ever since (see Figure 914). It is
interesting to note that after the Boston Marathon
Bombing in 2013, the number of entrants increased
by almost ten thousand.
The first woman to run the Boston Marathon,
Roberta Gibb, did not do so until 1966. In her first
three years of running the race, she did not do so
officially (with a number), but instead hid in the
bushes near the start line until the race started
because at that time women were not allowed in the
marathon. In 1967, Katherine Switzer did not identify
herself as female when she applied for the race, and was issued a number. Race officials tried (and
failed) to physically remove the number from her. In 1971, women were finally allowed to run the
marathon. That year, 8 women ran, and finished, the marathon.¹⁴
¹⁰"The History of Exercise Equipment | LIVESTRONG.COM." 2010. 30 Nov. 2014
<http://www.livestrong.com/article/274001-the-history-of-exercise-equipment/>
¹¹"Jack LaLanne - Home." 2002. 30 Nov. 2014 <http://www.jacklalanne.com/>
12
"About Us - 24 Hour Fitness." 2007. 30 Nov. 2014 <http://www.24hourfitness.com/company/about_us/>
13
"About Us | GoodLife Fitness." 2013. 30 Nov. 2014 <http://www.goodlifefitness.com/about/>
14
"Participation - Boston Athletic Association." 2011. 30 Nov. 2014 <http://www.baa.org/races/bostonmarathon/boston-marathon-history/participation.aspx>
4
Fitness and exercise have therefore become increasingly more popular since the 1950s. There
was even a so-called “exercise craze” in North America starting in the 70s and 80s. (See Video 1)15 Even
today, fitness is becoming more popular. Yoga, for example, has only recently become popular and is
continuously growing in popularity. In 2013, $27 billion was spent in the United States on yoga products.
Video 1: The 1970s Fitness Craze
It is evident, considering the fact that obesity rates started increasing in the 80s16, that the
increasing popularity of exercise and fitness basically mirrored the raise in obesity.⁷ We must therefore
consider that the main cause of the obesity epidemic is not a lack of exercise, but in fact stems from
another cause. This other cause is our diets.
15
"Fitness Craze Sweeps the Nation." Saturday Report. CBC: 25 Feb 1984. Radio.
<http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/lifestyle/fitness/getting-physical-canadas-fitness-movement/fitnesscraze-sweeps-the-nation.html>.
16
Gomez, Gregory. "When Did Obesity Become an Issue." Natural Health News and Scientific Discoveries. N.p., 19
Oct 2012. Web. 4 Oct 2014. <http://www.naturalnews.com/037596_obesity_statistics_junk_food.html
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
5
When we think about losing weight, we think about burning calories. A calorie is simply a unit of
measurement- the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree
Celsius.17 We all need a certain number of calories per day to function, depending on the amount of
activity done, and your metabolism (which is dependent on genetics, your age, your weight, etc.), but if
we consume more than we burn, then the extra calories will be stored as fat and will cause us to gain
weight. Thinking of obesity from this perspective, it seems confusing that the increase of exercise in
society did not prohibit the increasing obesity rates, but the explanation is quite simple.
All calories do not have the same effect on our body, and one calorie eaten does not equal one
calorie burnt.8 For example, if you consume 160 calories worth of almonds (about 23 almonds), you are
also consuming 3.3 grams of fiber (13% of your daily intake worth).18 (See Figure 2¹⁹). Thanks to this
fiber, the nutrients in the almonds do not get absorbed immediately, but instead are absorbed slowly,
resulting in a slow blood sugar rise. This allows the food to get absorbed as nutrients.⁷ On the other
hand, if you consume 160 calories of a soft drink (such as 355 mL of Coca Cola), you are consuming
absolutely no fiber (See Figure
3¹⁹). Because there is no fiber
present to allow for a slow
release of nutrients, there is a
quick spike in your blood
sugar. The liver will be unable
to keep up with processing
the glucose (sugar) from your
blood, and will therefore
recruit your pancreas. The
pancreas will produce an
energy storage hormone
called insulin that will turn the
glucose (sugar) into fat.⁷ The
two foods have the same
number of calories, but one of
them will affect your weight
much more than the other.
In 1977, Senator George McGovern published the McGovern Report, or “The 1977 Dietary Goals
for the United States”. This report stated, "…there is a great deal of evidence and it continues to
accumulate, which strongly implicates and, in some instances, proves that the major causes of death and
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
17
ASAP Science, . This is 200 Calories. N.d. Video. YoutubeWeb. 5 Oct 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMGUmcveQeg&list=UUC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA >.
18
"Food database and calorie counter" Fat Secret. N.p.. Web Image. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/almonds?portionid=35301&portionamount=23.000>.
6
disability in the United States are related to the diet we eat. […] The question to be asked, therefore, is
not why should we change our diet, but why not? What are the risks associated with eating less meat,
less fat, less saturated fat, less cholesterol, less sugar, less salt, and more fruits, vegetables, unsaturated
fat, and cereal products-especially whole grain cereals?" 19 For financially-driven reasons, the egg, dairy,
beef, and sugar industries rejected this report, and demanded a rewrite. The advice for a reduced intake
of eggs, dairy, beef and sugar were therefore removed, and what was left was the warning of the risks
associated with fat and saturated fat.⁷ This led for a decrease in the fat that was put into foods found on
the shelves. The words "low fat" are ones that are commonly seen on food packaging, but just because
something is low in fats, does not mean it is healthy (take the almonds, for example) (see Figure 2¹⁹previous page). When food companies take the fats out of food, sugar is added in order to preserve the
taste. Since 1977 (when the McGovern report was published) until 2000, Americans doubled the amount
of sugar in their diets.⁷ Unlike the exercise craze, this statistic is one that makes sense with the rising
obesity rates, which started at around the same time as when the fats in food were replaced by sugar.
Many researchers and health practitioners have recognized this connection, and are looking into the
effects of sugar on our body.
The average teenage American, according to the American Heart Association, consumes a
whopping 34 teaspoons of added sugars a day.20 The American Heart Association guideline for daily
intake of added sugars is maximum 6-9 teaspoons (this value is for adults- there has been no
recommendation given by the American Heart Association for children and adolescents).²¹ To put this in
perspective, 6-9 teaspoons of sugar is about 24-36 grams of sugar per day. Looking back at Figure 3¹⁹
(previous page), in a 355 mL can of Coca Cola, there are 42 grams of sugar. Just one can of pop will put
you over your daily limit. This recommended daily amount of added sugar, though, is highly disputed by
many health companies and organizations, with many saying that it should be much lower.⁷
It is not only the American Heart Association that has recognized that added sugar consumption
is much too high among many in North America. Many other researchers and organizations have
conducted studies and published similar information as well (see Figure 421). The average person,
19
McDougall, John. "George McGovern’s Legacy: The Dietary Goals for the United States." Dr McDougall. Dr.
McDougall's Health and Medical Center, n.d. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2012nl/oct/mcgovern.pdf>.
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
¹⁹"Food database and calorie counter" Fat Secret. N.p.. Web Image. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/usda/almonds?portionid=35301&portionamount=23.000>.
20
"Cut back, way back, on sugar, says heart group." NBC News. The Associated Press, 24 Aug 2009. Web. 4 Oct
2014. <http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32543288/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/cut-back-way-back-sugar-saysheart-group/>.
21
Recommended daily limit vs actual consumption tsp. added sugar. N.d. Graphic. n.p. Web. 4 Oct 2014.
<http://twofrugalfairfielders.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/sugar-intake-graph2.jpg>.
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
7
though, does not realize what a threat sugar is in terms of weight gain and obesity, and they do not
realize the abundance of it in our diets.
When small amounts of sugar are consumed, they can be processed in the liver. For example, if
you eat an apple (which contains natural sugar), the apple also contains fiber. The fiber allows for a slow
release of the sugars, which allows the liver to be able to process the sugar properly. When added
sugars are consumed, the liver is unable to keep up with the amounts of sugar, which results (as
mentioned earlier) in a quick spike in blood glucose levels (blood sugar). Again, this signals to the
pancreas to produce the energy storage hormone insulin. As previously stated, the insulin turns the
sugar into fat (which will result in weight gain).⁷ Unfortunately, though, that is not the end of what
insulin does.
In our body, there is a hormone called ghrelin which interacts with the neurotransmitter NPY in
our brain, and “turns on” the hunger feeling. After eating, the hormone leptin should be released, which
should interfere with the neurotransmitter NPY and allow the hunger feeling to subside.22 Foods that
are high in fat and sugar, and therefore produce insulin, prohibit the leptin from properly turning off
these hunger signals, which causes your brain to think you are starving.⁷ This causes you to feel hungry
and lethargic. Returning to the topic of exercise, individuals who are obese are often not very active, but
we have ruled out that a lack of exercise is the cause of the obesity epidemic. The fact that sugar will
cause an individual to feel lethargic allows us to make the connection that the lethargy in those who are
obese is not the cause of their problem, but is in fact a symptom of the abundance of sugar they eat.⁷
22
ASAP Science, . The Science of Appetite-Beating Overeating. N.d. Video. YoutubeWeb. 5 Oct 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwqAelWSgHk&list=UUC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA>.
⁶ Fulkerson, Lee, dir. Forks Over Knives. Prod. John Corry, and Brian Wendel. 2011. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
8
We can conclude from the above that the more sugar you eat, the more sluggish you will feel,
and also the hungrier you will feel- “it is a self-perpetuating problem”²³. There is even more that adds to
this problem, though. Historically, we are programmed to put on fat, and to seek calorie sources. For our
ancestors, food meant survival- it would help them get through the winter. The foods we eat today,
though, (processed, sugary foods) do not contain the vitamins, minerals, and proteins that our
ancestors’ foods contained, and that are essential in order for a healthy body.23 A body lacking the
proper nutrients will continue to send signals of hunger, in hopes of receiving the nutrients it
desperately wants and needs.⁶ Furthermore, the hormone leptin should be released when the receptors
in our stomach feel as though the stomach is filled.²³ 500 calories of natural, plant-based foods will
completely fill our stomach, whereas 500 calories of sugary, artificial, processed foods will not come
close to filling it.⁶ (As
mentioned before, a certain
number of calories of one food
are not going to appear the
same as the same number of
calories of another food- see
Video 2¹⁸). An individual
suffering from obesity as a
cause of a poor, sugar-filled
diet can therefore continuously
eat these unhealthy foods and
never feel full or satisfied.
Video 2: What 200 Calories Looks Like
⁶ Fulkerson, Lee, dir. Forks Over Knives. Prod. John Corry, and Brian Wendel. 2011. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
¹⁸ASAP Science, . This is 200 Calories. N.d. Video. YoutubeWeb. 5 Oct 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMGUmcveQeg&list=UUC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA >.
²³ASAP Science, . The Science of Appetite-Beating Overeating. N.d. Video. YoutubeWeb. 5 Oct 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwqAelWSgHk&list=UUC552Sd-3nyi_tk2BudLUzA>.
23
Colquhoun, James, dir. Hungry for Change. Dir. Laurentine ten Bosch, and Carlo Ledesma. Netflix, 2012. Film. 24
Dec 2014.
9
This increase in added sugar intake is
therefore a serious issue, and it is not one that is
easily remedied. After around 1980, every
generation has grown up around foods that are
high in sugar, and to completely give up sugar
would be harder than one would think. Sugar is a
toxin, as well as an addictive substance. “Cocaine
is a drug that's refined from coca leaves. Opium is
a drug that's refined from poppies. And sugar is a
drug that's refined from sugarcane.”24 (See Figure
5²⁵) Drugs, such as cocaine, stimulate the
production and release of a neurotransmitter
hormone called dopamine in the brain, which is
part of your brain’s “reward system”. This
dopamine creates a pleasure sensation, and is the
reason people become addicted to these drugs;
they are addicted to the effects of the high dopamine levels in their body.25 Sugar causes the same
response in the brain as many of these addictive drugs such as cocaine. In a PET scan (position emission
tomography), the brain lights up in the same areas for sugar as it does for cocaine⁷ (See Figure 6⁷).
Sugar is not the only food
that stimulates the production of
dopamine, but it does so at much
higher levels than other “healthy”
foods. Also, with other foods, the
more you eat them, the less and less
your dopamine levels will rise after
eating them. This is because our
body needs a variety of types of
foods in order to get all the right
nutrients, and this is your body’s
way of convincing you to change up
what you are eating. The issue with
sugar, though, is that the dopamine produced when you eat it will not lessen the more sugar is
consumed. You will build up a tolerance to it, but this just convinces your body to eat more of it in order
to get that dopamine “high”, just like drug addictions.²⁶
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
24
"Sugar: Addiction & Dangers." Angel Fire. N.p. Web Image. 5 Oct 2014.
<http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/sugar_addiction.html>.
25
TED-Ed, . How Sugar Affects the Brain. N.d. video. YoutubeWeb. 5 Oct 2014.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEXBxijQREo>.
10
As explained in the documentary “Fed Up”, a study was conducted with 43 cocaine-addicted lab
rats. When offered the choice between sugar water and cocaine, 40 out of the 43 rats chose the sugar
water, leading researchers to believe that sugar is in fact more addictive than cocaine.⁷ Lab rats also
showed the same withdrawal signs after being taken off sugar as after being taken off cocaine, leading
researchers to conclude that sugar is a lot more dangerous than the average person knows.⁷
Similar studies were conducted by a Connecticut College in 2013, led by neuroscientist Joseph
Schroeder and neuroscience major Jamie Honohan. The cocaine and morphine addicted rats included in
the study favored the side of a maze where they would find Oreo cookies rather than the side where
they would be injected with cocaine and heroin (which turns into morphine once having been
injected).26 Additionally, when the researchers“used immunohistochemistry to measure the expression
of a protein called c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, in the nucleus accumbens, or the brain’s
‘pleasure center,’” they found that “the Oreos activated significantly more neurons than cocaine or
morphine.”²⁰ From this study they could conclude that sugary and fatty foods are addictive. This is why
many people, although aware that sugary foods are not good for them, cannot resist indulging in this
sweet treat.
Another part of the puzzle is that “sugary foods” are more prominent than we know. The
majority of educated people, even children and adolescents, are aware that foods like Oreo cookies
contain sugar, but sugar is hidden in foods commonly perceived as “healthy”. In the average grocery
store, there are 60 000 different food items, and of these items, 80% of them contain added sugar.⁷
Sugar can be found under many names, such as words with the suffix “-ose” (fructose, lactose, sucrose,
maltose, glucose, dextrose, etc.), and many others such as corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, corn
sweetener, fruit juice, honey, and so many more.27 These sugars are hidden in many unsuspected places,
such as ketchups, tomato sauces, breakfast cereals, sports drinks, flavored yogurt, peanut butter, salad
dressing, etc.28 Processed starches, (such as white rice, white breads and pastas) are just as much
culprits as the other sugars- they are digested into glucose (blood sugar) immediately.⁷
What about artificial sweeteners? Those “0 calorie drinks” where the sugars are replaced with
artificial sweeteners are just as bad, not even considering the fact that many artificial sweeteners are
considered to be possible carcinogens (cancer causers).⁷ When the sweet tastes of the artificial
sweeteners (such as aspartame, sucralose - found in Splenda, or acesulfame potassium) touch your
tongue, your brain recognizes the sweetness and prepares to digest and process sugar, and triggers the
26
Sullum, Jacob. "Research Shows Cocaine And Heroin Are Less Addictive Than Oreos." Forbes. Forbes, 16 Oct
2013. Web. 5 Oct 2014. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacobsullum/2013/10/16/research-shows-cocaine-andheroin-are-less-addictive-than-oreos/>.
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
27
"The Many Names of Sugar." Prevent Cancer. American Institute for Cancer Research. Web. 5 Oct 2014.
<http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?id=20852>.
28
Raluca, Amariei. "Unsuspecting Foods Laden With Sugar." Health and Vitality News. N.p.. Web. 5 Oct 2014.
<http://vitalitysource.blogspot.ca/2012/06/unsuspecting-foods-laden-with-sugar.html>.
11
release of insulin from the pancreas.⁷ Although there is no sugar present, this insulin will still prohibit
the hormone leptin from turning off the “hungry” signal in your brain, and will still have the same effect
of making you feel hungry and sluggish. It will also turn any excess blood sugars into fat. Sugars found
naturally in food (such as in fruits) will not have the same effect, because the fiber contained in the fruit
will eliminate the negative effects, but fruit juice (where the fiber is no longer present) will have the
same effect as added sugars.⁷
It is safe to conclude that added sugars are one of the main blames for this overwhelming
obesity epidemic. Children are eating food that will eventually kill them. Some are unaware of this, and
others, although possibly aware, are too addicted to be able to resist eating this sweet but dangerous
food. How come the government puts so much effort into teaching children and adolescents about the
danger of some drugs such as cocaine, and they put so much effort behind reinforcing and upholding
the laws behind them, but they promote and even finance the one that is currently causing the biggest
problem in our society? They are being manipulated and controlled by the food industry, and they are
telling their public lies. They are turning a blind eye to a situation that will affect the future of their
country.
⁷Soechtig, Stephanie, dir. Fed Up . Prod. Katie Couric, and Laurie David. 2014. DVD. 4 Oct 2014.
12