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Controversy in Ads

Hi Fructose

Dr. Sabrina Segal

We’ve heard the pitfalls of foods sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup. Food manufacturers use it as a lost cost equivalent to sugar. Despite that corn syrup makes just about everything taste better, studies show that the sweetener is being abused and is linked to the growing obesity issue in America.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the main sweetener in processed beverages like sodas, fruit drinks, cakes and gooey snacks.

The resulting link between corn syrup and obesity is being dumbed-down by health institutions, such as the American Medical Association, that recently stated high fructose corn syrup should not be singled out as an obesity culprit, since other high calorie sweeteners also have a hand in skyrocketing obesity among the young and old.

Enter the ad campaign from the folks who bring you high fructose corn syrup.

First there is a website, HFCSfacts.com, extolling the virtues of the corn-based sweetener backed by a media blitz capitalizing on the fact that the sweetener has no artificial ingredients.

This, brought to your table by the Corn Refiners Association, which has invested in the campaign to change the image of their sweetening product. Although high fructose supplanted sugar as the most consumed sweetener by the 1990s, its popularity has waned in years. Now, sugar growers, corn syrup manufacturers, the sugar and corn lobbies and others impacted by the processed foods industry seek to stem the tide of ‘fattening’ publicity and re-grow the market for lost cost, high margin corn syrup.

And now, the consumer barraged with a parade of media telling us it’s OK to enjoy high fructose corn syrup. It may even be healthy!

Will a campaign like this change your mind about corn syrup consumption? Do you prefer real sugar over high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener? Do you read the ingredients labels on your foods? Do you know how much of the sugary stuff you ingest every day? (about 40 lbs. a year for Americans according to the USDA). Are you aware of zero calorie sweeteners and their impact on general health?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal

4 Comments

1. lindaclee |Sep. 22, 2008 @ 5:50 PM

To answer the question will an ad like this change your mind about corn syrup consumption? No telling me that high fructose corn syrup is good for me will not change my mind because I personally don't believe a lot of sugar of any kind is good for you. It can cause obesity and it can cause you to have diabetes if you consume a lot of sugar. I do prefer real sugar when I use sweetener, because I personally believe that the human body can break down sugar which is natural better than it can break down man made products. I do read the labels on the products that I buy. I do try to keep track of how much sugar I take in but I do sometimes indulge more than I should. Yes I am aware of the zero calorie sweeteners on the market some of which contain saccharine which has been linked to cancer.

2. Zee1284 |Sep. 28, 2008 @ 3:32 PM

This campaign for Corn Syrup would definitely change my mind on consumption. The reason would be because ingredients like that are not very healthy. It is better to have a product that has more vitamins and minerals in it which would help Americans bring their health under control. I would prefer real sugar over High Fructose any day. I would rather have sugar that is not bad than some sugars out there that are. I do not always read food labels on products like I will now. I think it is better to find products that are better in the long run for my health than just eating food that is bad for my health. I do not keep track of how much sugar I will consume in a day, but like I have said before, I will be definitely be watching and making sure how much I consume now. I do know about zero calorie sweeteners, since I work at a hospital and we sometimes have to keep patients off of any type of sugar or salt consumption due to their health problems.

3. Bethry |Nov. 14, 2008 @ 10:08 PM

I may be oversimplifying here but I always liked Aristotle's thoughts on life-everything in moderation. Yes there is an obesity problem in this country. But whose fault is that? I don't blame high fructose corn syrup, nor the food industry and how they advertise. After all, their goal is to get you to buy their products in order to make a profit, but consumers still have free will and choice. Ultimately it is the consumer's responsibility to choose wisely and when they indulge in not so healthy behavior, remember not to "overdo it."

4. BusStudent |Jan. 19, 2009 @ 7:07 PM

I don't think the increase in HFCS and the increase in obesity are connected; I think things like video games, TV and increasing busy parents have more to do with obesity than HFCS. HFCS just has the distinction of being used in the foods that, when over consumed, can cause obesity. Consider the fact that some countries, in which HFCS is illegal, are also reporting increased levels of obesity; exactly what scapegoat are we using for those countries? HFCS may not be the best thing in the world for our health, but to say it's the cause seems a bit absurd.

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