Sugar Is More Evil Than You Thought

GaryTaubes is the author of "Good Calories, Bad Calories" and "Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It".  In those books (as in this 2002 NY Times article which eventually was turned into the two books) Mr. Taubes linked excessive consumption of sugar end refined carbohydrates to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.  In 2011 he added an article linking sugar to cancer.

Yet it turns out that Mr. Taubes has been underestimating the evils of sugar.  Via Glenn we see a researcher linking autism to excessive carbohydrate consumption; other researchers are a step away from demonstrating a link to Alzheimers.

That is a a heck of a list of health hazards associated with giving your kid a soda pop (or having one yourself).  

I stand by this earlier Bold Prediction: sugar is going the way of cigarettes.

Comments

[Sue]

Sheesh. Just go ahead and shoot me now. They took away my cigarettes. Now they want my sugar?

[BR]

Hey, where's my post? I've tried 3 times.

[BR]

Okay, here it is again, without links. The link is already in my 6:35pm LUN.

Coconut sugar is great.

"Coconut sugar is manufactured from the flowers, or sugar blossoms, of the coconut palm tree. The nectar is harvested by slicing the flower. The nectar is then boiled to a thick, caramel-like substance and allowed to dry. It is then ground to a crystalline powder."

"Coconut sugar is also extremely low on the Glycemic Index. It is rated as a GI 35. By comparison, cane sugars are rated at GI 68. It is completely organic and contains no additives or preservatives. Coconut sugar is rich in iron, potassium, and magnesium as well as essential vitamins such as vitamin B and C."

"Perhaps the most appealing quality of coconut sugar is the fact that it helps regulate and manage diabetes, as it helps lower total and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels. This also makes coconut sugar ideal for weight loss and preventing obesity."

"Sugar substitutes such as saccharin, sucralose, and asparatame are dangerous sweetening alternatives...."

"[Coconut sugar] is used to remove phlegm from your lungs, or to treat a sore throat. The health benefits from coconut sugar can be astounding. It is a low glycemic index sugar, as compared to cane sugar, maple syrup, or even honey. Coconut sugar also contains 16 amino acids, 12 vitamins, and 13 minerals that your body needs to be healthy."

[Thomas Collins]

But Sue, it looks as if juicy hamburgers and eggs are making a comeback. Hamburgers, eggs, salad and club soda 6 out of 7 days, with Newports and frosting laced cake with yellow roses on top on the 7th day doesn't sound too bad!

[narciso]

'You will take that sugar packet, from my cold dead hands'

[Mark Folkestad]

BR, some of the comments on your linked site make Ron Paul seem completely sane. I'm a type II diabetic, and I wouldn't risk my health by using much coconut sugar. I also have no fear of sucralose/Splenda. It does sound very good as a general way of reducing the use of common sugar. Thanks for sharing.

[Jack is Back!]

If you take sucrose and fructose out of the diet you are left with only some very bland proteins. You eliminate all fruits, honey, potatoes and key lime pie.

I agree with getting rid of Frosted Flakes and Coke and candy and French Toast with gallons of maple syrup (okay, I am lying here). But sugar by itself in the correct usage is not the enemy it is the diet that over uses it as a major ingredient or a complimentary one.

Packers win but not the way you would expect against the Vikings. Ponder is a force to reckon with in the future.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

linking autism to excessive carbohydrate consumption

That's not right: the article doesn't link it to carb consumption, but to impaired sugar metabolism.

[pagar]

"Q) Can Stevia replace sugar in the diet?

A) Yes. Refined sugar is virtually devoid of nutritional benefits and, at best, represents empty calories in the diet. At worst, it has been implicated in numerous degenerative diseases. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar and has none of sugar's unhealthy drawbacks.

http://www.stevia.com/Stevia_Article.aspx?Id=2269

Not the best article for information on Stevia, but it will answer a lot of questions. I like Stevia and use it on a daily basis.

[Clarice]

Unfortunately, many wonderful foods cannot be made with stevia thoughI use it for many everyday uses.

Chaco is completely correct. This is a misstatement of the article and research.

[Janet]

It is a wonder my parents are still alive...eating carbohydrates, sugar, fats, meat. Their house had asbestos & lead paint, but they didn't eat the asbestos or lead paint. They are in their 80s.

[jorod]

What's next? Black market Captain Crunch?

[jorod]

My father would drink raw cream right after milking. Lived to 96.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

It is a wonder my parents are still alive...eating carbohydrates, sugar, fats, meat. Their house had asbestos & lead paint, but they didn't eat the asbestos or lead paint. They are in their 80s.

Think how old they'd be now if they'd eaten a healthy diet.

[Extraneus]

Sugar may be bad, but the low-carb diet doesn't work for everyone. I've lost weight on low-fat diets, and gained on low-carb, and I was religious about it in both cases. I'm not obese, just have about 15 pounds that would be better gone than on, but I had high hopes after reading that Taubes book. Dashed.

[Jack is Back!]

W throws out first pitch to Nolan Ryan behind the plate. Good karma or bad karma? Not perfect but not like the JEF fellas delivery.

[Janet]

Think how old they'd be now if they'd eaten a healthy diet.

LOL!...in their 80s! Yeah, I see your point. They should have eaten healthier, so they could make it to their 80s.

[Threadkiller]

So much for the Shangri La diet.

http://www.weightlosscentral.org/diets/shangri-la-diet.aspx

[Jack is Back!]

I think Holland striking out Craig is a good omen but what do I know. Now its Pujols. If he can get him out then the Rangers are starting off in the right direction. Roger Hornsby just applauded - Albert grounded out.

[Jack is Back!]

TK,

According to the Shanghri-La diet, if you need to lose 40 pounds you won't remember who you are after 30 days of that amount of sugar:)

[Jack is Back!]

Rangers strike first. Hamilton must be feeling better to make that swing.

[Charlie (Colorado)]

TK, that web page doesn't mention that Seth did years of studies on himself and has years of studies since then with a number of people.

As I was saying about climate elsewhere, you need to be careful about what is reported on scientific topics.

http://blog.sethroberts.net/

[Threadkiller]

My dad only taught my one thing about sweets(and dating):
Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.

[Threadkiller]

Thanks for the link ChaCo.

[pagar]

Clarice, I didn't mean to leave anyone with the impression that we did not use any sugar, but I believe stevia is a good replacement for a lot of sugar uses.

[MayBee]

Explain the Asian rice-heavy diet to me if carbs are really so evil.

[Clarice]

And I completely agree with that, Pagar.

[sbw]

If sugar is "bad" then thank goodness we are all for limited government and for education rather than indoctrination.

[Jack is Back!]

Typepad is up to its old tricks again.

Go here and understand.

Tried to post his and show how much Clarice has become a blogging rock star.

[Clarice]

Huh?

Drudge is posting a link to a telegraph piece which reports that Libya is going to become a strictly Islamic state. He does that over a pic of Obama with a truly shit eating grin on his face.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8844819/Libyas-liberation-interim-ruler-unveils-more-radical-than-expected-plans-for-Islamic-law.html

[jimmyk]

Explain the Asian rice-heavy diet to me if carbs are really so evil.

I've seen some serious claims that the real evils are grains with gluten (wheat, barley, rye). Potatoes and rice are not so bad, in moderation.

[narciso]

Jalil, is the U Pittsburgh educated Ph.d yet he goes along with this, well Ghannouchi of
Tunisia, and Turabi, of Sudan, were trained at the Sudan, so no particular acumen apparently accrues.

[narciso]

I was unsure, so I double checked:

http://books.google.com/books?id=ptzp_fuNRyQC&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=ghannouchi;+Sorbonne&source=bl&ots=DcVK-Xu1sk&sig=chS3u8Inn_H_Z5gNhoOLwPL5QTc&hl=en&ei=wr2kTv_1BIbqgQfP8_GaBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=ghannouchi%3B%20Sorbonne&f=false

[Danube of Thought]

Appears Tunisia is headed for Islamism as well. In a few years the term "Arab Spring" will be mocked bitterly.

[Stephanie Road Warrior Seeking Roadkill]

Back from the cold, cold, COLD climes of Northern West Virginia... and Walter and Porchlight have mail.

Remind me again how smart higher ed folks are supposed to be - the West Virginia Independent Athletic Conference scheduled their championship at a ski resort in the highest mountains of WV for the end of October. Yes we got snow, yes we got sleet, yes we got 25 mile per hour winds, yes we got wind chills in the teens and YES they played the first round of golf in all that stuff on Friday. On the bright side, yesterday was only 38 degrees when they started the second round and the sun finally came out. Shoulda played both rounds on Saturday which they knew would be better, but noooooo... now all the girls are sick. We had two of our players withdraw due to illness and thus, did not place. Friggin stoopit.

[Janet]

So ya figure Libya's new govt is gonna be on board with the "Let's Move!" healthy eating/exercise program & all the new green technologies?? I'm excited about our new friends...:(

[Frau Überraschung]

Clarice, I asked earlier today, what the "Sharia Spring" is going to cost the United States. Leading from behind leads to big surprises.

[narciso]

as the skin crawling candidate, put it, in another context, 'nein, nein, nein.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

I try to eat complete proteins and complex carbohydrates rather than simple sugars.

[Jack is Back!]

Stephanie,

Didn't you have any offers below the frost line? Not good playing golf in WV this time of the year. But I just got a photo from Maryland and it looks playable.

[Clarice]

Frau, who knows?

[narciso]

That Davis tome, is instructive, in illustrating 'Denial is not just a river',
for Ghannouchi, but Zayat, who was one of Wright's sources re Zawahiri. Notice that he was Nosair's lawyer in the Kahane case.

[Clarice]

In Egypt, frau, it is evidence that the spring will be followed by starvation fall.

[Clarice]

*evident*

Damn it, TM , can't you do something about captcha?

[Stephanie Road Warrior Seeking Roadkill]

No offers below the frost line. The temperature today was in the 50s there and is back up to the 60s by mid week. They have had rain or snow at every tournmament they have played this fall. Lousy timing. As soon as they get back to campus it's shorts weather. Oh, well.

It was just so stupid to have the kids play on Friday when the requirement for regulation championships is 27 holes. They coulda played 27 on Saturday or played 18 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday to get the regs requirement. It's not like they have classes on the weekends.

Her coach is scheduling all the spring tourneys in the Carolinas (Pinehurst maybe and Myrtle Beach) and Georgia (Dalton Carpet Classic) til April.

They are done for this semester. Spring golf should be warmer... and closer to us. :) Woot!

[BR]

Sunday night funnies - how strange, my computer time is 6 minutes ahead. Glad I can still communicate to all of you in the other universe :)

[BR]

Wanna join me? It's now 10:40 p.m.

[narciso]

'We observe the laws of relativity, in this house' Rangers, 4-0.

[BR]

What's Rangers got to do with it? The All Blacks won over the Frenchies. In my new fun universe, it's because I admired them so!

[Captain Hate]

Temps in West Va are hit and miss at this time of the year so your experience isn't surprising; nor would've been a warm patch. The only constant would be rock hard greens.

[tom]

People were mentioning Seth Roberts--see his post on Crohn's disease and carbs:

http://blog.sethroberts.net/2011/10/10/grandmother-knows-best-about-crohns-disease/

Imagine the unified theory we will have soon about what happened when we moved from millions of years of foraging to a few thousand years of farming.

With ignorance, I'd guess we'd look next at rheumatoid arthritis and MS.

[Sara (Pal2Pal)]

FIREFOX USERS!

There are a couple new add-ons you might be interested in:

Multicopy 1.0: Lets you copy multiple unconnected lines before pasting

TABLETOOLS2: If you have ever struggled to get a table to format after pasting, check this out. Does everything for HTML tables: Copy (table/row/column/cell), Sort (multi-column), Search (regex, range operations ...), Filter, Chart (bubble, line, pie, histogram ...), Statistics, Rearrange (column/row), Combine & Compare. Replaces TableTools.

[henry]

Congrats to your Rangers Sue. I'm off to dream happy dreams about chainsaws. : )

[Captain Hate]

CSI Miami has an episode with a F&F theme. If this has gotten into popular entertainment, Stedman may as well get used to how he looks in orange.

[Sue]

It's not over yet, henry. Stop jinxing them.

[(Another) Barbara]

TM, should you happen to see this, I wish you'd read Dr. Davis's book, "Wheat Belly." Sugar and wheat, they'll be the ciggies of the future, but that future is far distant as long as we have bureaucrats telling us what to eat. We've grown to the size of buffalos following Washington's guidance.

[henry]

It was worth a try Sue.

[Sue]

Okay. It's over. 4-0 Rangers. Derek Holland pitched 8-1/3 innings.

[Sue]

Oh, and thanks henry. I was rude in not saying that first when the game was over.

[narciso]

when you dabble in the dark arts, Sue, you cannot do like the Sorcerer's Apprentice,

[Porchlight]

We've grown to the size of buffalos following Washington's guidance.

Now here I can't actually blame the government. Americans have not gotten fatter because government has misdirected us. We've gotten fatter because calories are cheap and plentiful, and because most of us don't have to perform manual labor or anything like it to survive and feed our families.

This is the downside of the miracle that is the American economy. It's a "downside" that is/was out of reach for most humans in the history of the world. Since the dawn of history most people have spent most of their waking hours procuring food, as animals do. We should be profoundly grateful that we have so much food available to feed our families that we must work to avoid growing obese.

[narciso]

This is a belated find from PW, but it's just dripping in facepalm:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/22/pete-seeger-leads-protesters-on-foot-and-in-song/

[Ralph L]

If any of you were driving down I-95 between Fredericksburg and Richmond this afternoon, and saw some poor sod trying to change a tire on an old pickup with the wrong size jack, that was me you didn't stop to help.

[Porchlight]

Well, super:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/24/us-obama-economy-idUSTRE79N0J920111024?feedType=RSS&feedName=politicsNews&rpc=22&sp=true

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama this week will announce a series of actions to help the economy that will not require congressional approval, including an initiative to make it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages, according to a White House official.

First off, how exactly does this not require Congressional approval? Second, what could go wrong?

[Danube of Thought]

I'm really enjoying this World Series. Just about everything the experts say about it after each game is proved wrong in the next.

[narciso]

"One gets this strange feeling of deja vu, that extraordinary feeling that we've been
somewhere before'

[Ralph L]

We've grown to the size of buffalos following Washington's guidance.
You must have fries with that. I'm naturally thin, the rest of you chubbies shouldn't have stopped smoking.

[MarkO]

I suffer from vuja de, the feeling I've never been here before.

[(Another) Barbara]

I won't argue, Porch, although I believe that's not the central issue, but a peripheral one. Even the animals you mention don't grow obese when there's unlimited food available. Only mammals whose diet is controlled by man grow fat.

But arguing here about human nutrition is a fool's errand. Sometimes (often?) I'm a fool and embark once again on my mission, but it's not yielded me much in the way of fame and adulation, so I won't do it again.

It's just that the working of the human metabolic system is a focus for me, and I therefore attempt to read about it and think about it as much as I can -- as well as to put into practice what I believe I have learned. For me, it's has resulted in feeling much better and looking better.

All who are happy when they look at their buck nekkidness in the mirror, and feel strong and vigorous whatever their age, should of course continue what they're doing now. And I'm likely older than most here, so it's probably more important to me than others, to make sure my eight decades (finger crossed; I'm getting close) are well lived and of high quality. I don't want to get fat and I want to depart this vale of tears while either falling off a cliff during a hike or a barstool when I'm having fun.

That's all. YMMV. I won't lecture further.

[Porchlight]

It's not that you're wrong about any of that, (A)B, or that it isn't important on an individual level. It's just that - well, what a problem for us to have! Billions alive today would love to have such a problem. Just as billions would love to have the freedoms Americans take for granted (and even denigrate).

I think I've just been listening/reading too many OWS gripes. Lord, what an ungrateful lot.

[narciso]

Well back in the day we ate more meat, more bread, less vegetables, and probably less refined sugars,

[jimmyk]

Now here I can't actually blame the government. Americans have not gotten fatter because government has misdirected us.

I think the government has contributed. The whole food pyramid nonsense, and the general push to substitute carbs for protein and fat, has had an impact, especially in schools, but also on the medical profession, which largely continues to push the low-fat high-carb diet.

This is the downside of the miracle that is the American economy.

On the contrary, carbs and heavily processed foods are cheap sources of calories, which is why obesity seems more common among the poor than the wealthy. We have now reached the point where most Americans can afford a healthier diet. Or at least we had before the Democrats began the process of impoverishing us again back in 2006.

[Porchlight]

On the contrary, carbs and heavily processed foods are cheap sources of calories, which is why obesity seems more common among the poor than the wealthy.

Of course carbs are cheaper, relatively speaking. But healthy eating is also affordable; it's just that many (most?) Americans don't choose that route.

The idea that people who are free to choose, and who have many choices available to them thanks to a robust economy, don't regularly choose the "best" thing for them, should not be a surprise to a conservative.

I refuse to believe that Americans are fat because the government has pushed the wrong food pyramid on us or whatever. The idea that we're fat because the big mean government has lied to us, not because we choose to eat more of the high-carb yummy food than is good for us, sounds frankly like something a liberal would say.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vnjagvet]

I don't care what anyone says. Scrapple is our most perfect breakfast food. Just ask any Pennsylvania Dutchman. It is especially so when accompanied by a touch of pure maple syrup or catchup.

Just google "Habersetts" if you don't believe me.

[BR]

MarkO, then you've entered the new universe. Welcome :)

[(Another) Barbara]

But healthy eating is also affordable; it's just that many (most?) Americans don't choose that route.

What is "healthy eating?" Do you know? Do I know? How did you come to your definition of "healthful?" Where did I?

Ahhhh. It's a problem, isn't it?

[Danube of Thought]

They're just like the Tea Party (cont.):

"The Occupy Wall Street organizers have invited support from Muslim groups, and on Friday, their camp in New York City’s Zuccotti Park played host to an Islamic group with ties to Islamist anti-Semites, radicals and terrorists. The Islamic group held a small prayer service that featured roughly 30 men and 30 women. As required by Islamic rules, the women sat in the back and wore head coverings, as the prayer leader cried out 'Allahu Akbar,' or 'Allah is the Most Powerful of All.'"

[BR]

Obese Americans have been gathering blubber for the coming cold spell, like camels hold water for the desert in their humps and Bushmen hold food in their buns :)

[BR]

OT - imagine if our forms were indestructible and changeable at will, how funny all the movies would be that are all about death, murder, violence, and destruction! Shakespeare's tragedies would become comedies.

And how we could enjoy the different density levels from physical pleasure to levitation, and more!

[jimmyk]

Porch, it's not either-or, but I can't tell you how many people still believe that cutting out meat and eggs and eating lots of grains is good for you. It's not that that they choose to eat "yummy carbs." They would rather eat bacon and eggs for breakfast but they eat Wheaties with skim milk instead because the idea that it's healthier has become so ingrained (sorry) in them.

My daughter's pediatrician says to drink skim milk. Of course it doesn't taste as good, and an hour later she's hungry and grabs a granola bar. No one reaches for skim instead of whole milk because it's "yummy." It's been absorbed into the culture that fat is bad, and yes, the government has been part of that propaganda machine. How is that "liberal"?

[bgates]

a series of actions to help the economy that will not require congressional approval

OUT: The unitary executive

IN: The unitary executive + legislature combo

[bgates]

As required by Islamic rules, the women sat in the back and wore head coverings,

then as required by the customs of both Islam and OWS, the women were sexually assaulted and warned not to go squealing to the police.

[daddy]

Global Warming Sucks!

[BR]

Oh, that's so beautiful, Daddy! Mother Nature knows what she's doing, hey :)

[JB]

"Sugar may be bad, but the low-carb diet doesn't work for everyone. I've lost weight on low-fat diets, and gained on low-carb, and I was religious about it in both cases. "

I've lost weight by substituting whole grain carbs for most refined carbs. In fact, it's worked so well I'm at my lowest weight since high school.

[Elliott]

From the "News Stories of the Future" file:

(2032-06-17) Ankara, Turkey--NATO fighter jets forced a private aircraft carrying the legendary culinary fugitive Paul Grenier to land in Eastern Turkey early Thursday morning, according to NATO officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The French-born Grenier had been the top target of INTERPOL's Fight Against Epicurean Cuisine (FAEC) Section from its creation in 2023 under UN Security Counsel resolution 3682.

Culinary outlaw

Mr. Grenier was the only proprietor of a 3-starred Michelin restaurant to defy the ban on the use of many traditional ingredients and methods of cooking in food preparation. Facing life imprisonment, he fled Paris for China where he served as the personal chef to PLA chief Tang Chi Chi before opening a restaurant in Shanghai catering to the Chinese oligarchy. It was also briefly popular with American and European millionaires, but the swift implementation of Culinary Tourism laws meant few Western visitors for the man dubbed the "Freedom Fryer" by his defenders. Mr. Grenier's luck seemed to have finally run out three years ago when former US President Barack Obama brokered a deal with the Chinese government, under the terms of which China began enforcing resolution 3682 and, in exchange, gained long sought control over the breakaway island of Formosa.

However, the shrewd chef escaped to the United Arab Emirates, where he operated openly during the past five years. Long the scourge of the FAEC Section owing to the Port of Dubai's importance in the smuggling of sugar and banned cooking oils, the country remained one of the last safe havens for traditional chefs and members of deposed Arab royal families—such as those of Morocco and Jordan—until it fell yesterday to the United Islamic Army.

NATO officials believe that Mr. Grenier, who filmed a defiant interview with leading international news station RT from his restaurant "L'Exclu" on the 80th floor of the Burj Dubai on Monday, was en route to the Black Sea resort town of Sochi when his plane was forced to land. "Unfortunately, Moscow has turned a blind eye to Resolution 3682 so that is where we expected he'd head," said one FAEC officer. "It would have been a tragedy for him to reach Russia, where he could have inspired another wave of full-fat cooks. As with previous generations, there are a lot of young people looking to experiment with dangerous substances. For those interested in food, he was the Pied-Piper of Pâtisserie."

State Department officials declined to speculate as to what the capture portends for US-Russian relations. President Obama will leave for Moscow next week, hoping to broker a deal similar to the one he reached with the Chinese, for which he received an unprecedented second Nobel Peace Prize. Russia's President Vladimir Putin reached out to the US last year, indicating he would be willing to crack down on the obesity enablers in exchange for further reductions to the American nuclear arsenal, a suggestion lauded by a bipartisan group of US Senator as "eminently reasonable" and welcomed by the former President. "The threat to Americans from international sweet and fat smuggling is far greater than the threat from Russian nuclear weapons has ever been," said Obama. "I'm grateful to the Russian president for his constructive proposal, which indicates he understands the severity of the threat and will be a reliable partner in combatting it."

Related Slide Show -- Grenier's Crimes Against BMI: From the Opera Cake to Lamb's Best

Related Interview -- Grenier on RT: "UIA Commanders would skip prayers to eat at my restaurant"

[Clarice]

Brilliant, Elliott. The makings of a great script. XOXOXO

[JM Hanes]

LOL, Elliott, love the Presidential smart diplomacy. What a negotiator!

[JM Hanes]

Speaking of sugar, I'm almost tempted to tell Joe Nocera that all is forgiven: The Ugliness Started With Bork.

[JM Hanes]

Only a post or two to go, before I will own the "Recent Comments" list!

So, enuff with the gloom 'n doom?

The American phoenix is slowly rising again. Within five years or so, the US will be well on its way to self-sufficiency in fuel and energy. Manufacturing will have closed the labour gap with China in a clutch of key industries. The current account might even be in surplus.

What say ye gurus about the Telegraph analysis?

[Jack is Back!]

narciso,

Rina could be heading your way. Keep a sharp eye out. Models are saying it will replicate Wilma in 2005. Hit the Yucatan and make a hard right across the gulf toward Port Charlotte then inland. Sometime next week.

[sbw]

Here's a useful pointer: caloriecount.about.com.

Gain, lose, or maintain weight, the site teaches about tradeoffs for different food. You don't have to be dogmatic or a zealot; just make sensible choices.

I'm down about a bowling ball.

[Clarice]

Google tells it like it is

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204618704576645353164833940.html

[Porchlight]

What is "healthy eating?" Do you know? Do I know? How did you come to your definition of "healthful?" Where did I?

But we both know that it doesn't involve frequent large portions of candy, cookies, cake, soda and chips, correct?

jimmyk, I suppose there is a group in the middle that is trying to eat well but being given poor guidelines and not succeeding. But I can't imagine that is a huge portion of the population, nor, if they're drinking skim milk and making up for it later with granola bars, are they likely to be the most overweight.

If you look around a grocery store, and see the entire aisle of soda and salty snacks next to the entire aisle of candy and cookies, and then observe the average weight of the shoppers who are loading their cart with these items, I think we can conclude that the greater problem is simply a desire to eat fattening, high-carb food. The vast majority of people know it's not healthy; they overindulge in it anyway, as well as overeating in all the other food groups. Because it tastes good to them, and it's satisfying, and they can afford it.

That is the chiefly the result of abundance and a sedentary lifestyle, which is why you don't see the same thing happening in other, mostly poorer countries (even in countries where the diet involves lots of carbs like rice or taro). And we didn't see as much of it years ago here in the US when food prices were comparatively higher and more people had jobs involving manual labor.

[centralcal]

Can you give a brief recap, Clarice? Your link is "subscription only" to read the whole article and I don't one :(

[jimmyk]

cc, it's basically that the Obama-loving chairman of Google is (finally!) getting fed up with big government interference.

"So we get hauled in front of the Congress for developing a product that's free, that serves a billion people. OK? I mean, I don't know how to say it any clearer," Mr. Schmidt told the Post. "It's not like we raised prices. We could lower prices from free to . . . lower than free? You see what I'm saying?"

An absence of consumer harm didn't stop senators from offering some improbable recommendations. Among them: that Google replace its algorithm with a panel of experts to ensure "fair" search results. As Google tries to improve the relevancy of its search results for consumers, some sites inevitably come up higher and some lower in the results. The losers now lobby Washington.

"Regulation prohibits real innovation, because the regulation essentially defines a path to follow," Mr. Schmidt said. This "by definition has a bias to the current outcome, because it's a path for the current outcome."

[Manuel Transmission]

As I've mentioned before, somewheres between 10 and 25 percent of the people I work with in China are diabetic. They are not overweight, although some have a middle age paunch. In some cases it may be that hooch they love to swill.

[centralcal]

Thanks, jimmyk. It makes me wonder though what Obama-loving Mr. Scmidt couldn't see coming? We have been surrounded with big government interference for a very long time. Obama didn't create it, he simply grew it to even more obscene levels.

[Clarice]

cc, I am sorry. I saw the entire article for free by simply googling the title and thought the link I gave was to that.

The WaPo has a flattering frontpage piece on Cain and an analysis saying Obama is now getting so unpopular almost any candidate can win..I grow increasingly confident that Cain is going to be the nominee.

[Ignatz]

--It makes me wonder though what Obama-loving Mr. Scmidt couldn't see coming?==

He thought the campaign contributions meant regulations for thee but not for me.
Typical left wing crony capitalist.