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New public health campaign against sugar.
Replies
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Packerjohn wrote: »They keep saying that you get heart disease if you consume sugary drinks/foods, yet I consume these things and I have reverse my heart disease. I wonder how I did that.....I must be medical miracle!!!
Hearr disease is a by-product of obesity. These products with a lot of empty calories contribute to the obesity issue if their consumption isn't monitored
I'm guessing you reduced your consumption of these products and/or reduced calories somewhere else, losing weight and improving your heart health. No miracle, just CICO
I agree, but then why when we/I tell people here on MFP that moderation is what they should do with all foods/drinks(unless medical issues), then go on to say if you consume anything with evil sugars in it you will gain weight, get heart disease, etc.....this happens every time!!!
Don't think the guideline said don't eat anything with sugar just gave guidelines for what the analysis considered an appropriate amount
Fact is the sugary drinks mentioned are some of the fastest, ways to get a bunch of nutrient poor calories in your body.4 -
I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so this is all theoretical for me. My weakness is savory foods.
In the summer when it gets hot, I need more water. I started drinking electrolyte replacement things on really warm and sunny days. At first I'd drink a Gatoraid, but it had 200 calories for a small bottle, that's as much as I burn cycling 7.5 miles around the lake. I realized what was going on and changed to Nuun tabs, more like 5 cals, and seemingly more effective. The point to this story is how easy it is to drink more calories than you need or realize. If your goal is to lose weight, this is obviously something to avoid; if your goal is to raise healthy children, calorie-dense drinks are a habit you don't want to encourage.1 -
I think the link between consuming massive calories and obesity is pretty clear and compelling. So on that basis, consuming more calories than necessary should be avoided. On the diabetes front, I will speak from my work experience-- I've been a researcher in diabetes since 1998, and have published a number of articles on this. The issue is that your body is not really designed to consume huge amounts of any type of sugar. It's designed to take in normal mounts. So, eating an orange is perfectly fine, but drinking OJ is difficult for your body. As you do this over the long term, your beta cells (sit on the pancreas and secrete insulin) will die off. Why? Because although they secrete insulin, high levels of insulin are acutally deterimenal to beta cells, and will kill them off. This, in conjunction with a generally sedentary lifestyle, will lead to Type 2 diabetes.
What about in conjunction with a generally active lifestyle?
Type 2 diabetes is the result of two issues (as opposed to Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes). In Type 2, you both don't produce enough insulin, and your cells are not responsive to the insulin (called insulin resistance). Recall that insulin is the hormone which allows glucose to cross the cell membrane; it's like a carrier for glucose. Without it, you would starve to death no matter what you eat, because fuel (glucose) would not cross the cell membrane and enter the cells to be used as energy. This issue of your cells being less responsive is called insulin resistance. Due to this, the body is forced to produce more insulin in a Type 2 diabetic in the hopes that enough will allow glucose to enter the cells. Exercise increases the cells sensitivity to insulin. So, when you exercise, you counteract insulin resistance, and would need less insulin to be effective. To answer your question, having an active lifestyle will slow down developing Type 2 diabetes.2 -
I think the link between consuming massive calories and obesity is pretty clear and compelling. So on that basis, consuming more calories than necessary should be avoided. On the diabetes front, I will speak from my work experience-- I've been a researcher in diabetes since 1998, and have published a number of articles on this. The issue is that your body is not really designed to consume huge amounts of any type of sugar. It's designed to take in normal mounts. So, eating an orange is perfectly fine, but drinking OJ is difficult for your body. As you do this over the long term, your beta cells (sit on the pancreas and secrete insulin) will die off. Why? Because although they secrete insulin, high levels of insulin are acutally deterimenal to beta cells, and will kill them off. This, in conjunction with a generally sedentary lifestyle, will lead to Type 2 diabetes.
What about in conjunction with a generally active lifestyle?
Type 2 diabetes is the result of two issues (as opposed to Type 1 diabetes, previously known as juvenile diabetes). In Type 2, you both don't produce enough insulin, and your cells are not responsive to the insulin (called insulin resistance). Recall that insulin is the hormone which allows glucose to cross the cell membrane; it's like a carrier for glucose. Without it, you would starve to death no matter what you eat, because fuel (glucose) would not cross the cell membrane and enter the cells to be used as energy. This issue of your cells being less responsive is called insulin resistance. Due to this, the body is forced to produce more insulin in a Type 2 diabetic in the hopes that enough will allow glucose to enter the cells. Exercise increases the cells sensitivity to insulin. So, when you exercise, you counteract insulin resistance, and would need less insulin to be effective. To answer your question, having an active lifestyle will slow down developing Type 2 diabetes.
This sounds like you're saying it is inevitable...1 -
I think the link between consuming massive calories and obesity is pretty clear and compelling. So on that basis, consuming more calories than necessary should be avoided. On the diabetes front, I will speak from my work experience-- I've been a researcher in diabetes since 1998, and have published a number of articles on this. The issue is that your body is not really designed to consume huge amounts of any type of sugar. It's designed to take in normal mounts. So, eating an orange is perfectly fine, but drinking OJ is difficult for your body. As you do this over the long term, your beta cells (sit on the pancreas and secrete insulin) will die off. Why? Because although they secrete insulin, high levels of insulin are acutally deterimenal to beta cells, and will kill them off. This, in conjunction with a generally sedentary lifestyle, will lead to Type 2 diabetes.
What about in conjunction with a generally active lifestyle?
In addition, genetics plays a huge role. To use an analogy, genetics basically loads the gun, but it is your lifestyle which pulls the trigger. As I'm predisposed to diabetes (my mother and my father died from complications due to diabetes, my grandparents had diabetes, my oldest brother has diabetes), I have a huge incentive to eat well (meaning reduced spikes in glucose in my bloodstream) and to exercise, in order to stave off diabetes.3 -
I think the link between consuming massive calories and obesity is pretty clear and compelling. So on that basis, consuming more calories than necessary should be avoided. On the diabetes front, I will speak from my work experience-- I've been a researcher in diabetes since 1998, and have published a number of articles on this. The issue is that your body is not really designed to consume huge amounts of any type of sugar. It's designed to take in normal mounts. So, eating an orange is perfectly fine, but drinking OJ is difficult for your body. As you do this over the long term, your beta cells (sit on the pancreas and secrete insulin) will die off. Why? Because although they secrete insulin, high levels of insulin are acutally deterimenal to beta cells, and will kill them off. This, in conjunction with a generally sedentary lifestyle, will lead to Type 2 diabetes.
What about in conjunction with a generally active lifestyle?
In addition, genetics plays a huge role. To use an analogy, genetics basically loads the gun, but it is your lifestyle which pulls the trigger. As I'm predisposed to diabetes (my mother and my father died from complications due to diabetes, my grandparents had diabetes, my oldest brother has diabetes), I have a huge incentive to eat well (meaning reduced spikes in glucose in my bloodstream) and to exercise, in order to stave off diabetes.
Right. I imagine genetics changes the game big time...1 -
Governments are very ineffective at convincing people to refrain from consuming the food products which the government promotes the production of. For instance, the U.S. promotes the production of sugar, so sugar is cheap in the U.S. and American food producers ship sugar-laden food worldwide and it's cheap for all. Britain would more effectively lobby the U.S. and E.U. to stop subsidizing sugar. If Brexit occurs, sugar prices in Britain could increase substantially because Britain must import and Britain can, if it wants, impose stiff tariffs on sugar to raise the price. However, if Britain allows cheap foreign sugar to enter and then tries to convince people with brains that seek the endorphin response to cheap sugary foods, Britain will fail.2
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Gotta demonize something, and it's easier for people to believe they are eating the wrong things compared to eating the wrong amounts of things.6
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This sounds like you're saying it is inevitable...
In some sense. I have the propensity for it. If I maintain my lifestyle and exercise level, I should hold it off. But the reality is that when I'm 80 I likely won't keep up the lifestyle and exercise regimen I do now. So, at some point I will develop diabetes. However, as diabetes is a long-term illness, it will not likely kill me before I die of something else first.
As mentioned earlier, genetics plays a big factor in diabetes development and progression. Eating poorly and not exercising does not *cause* diabetes, at least not in the sense. But if you are genetically predisposed, and then eat poorly and don't exercise, you will develop it.2 -
This sounds like you're saying it is inevitable...
In some sense. I have the propensity for it. If I maintain my lifestyle and exercise level, I should hold it off. But the reality is that when I'm 80 I likely won't keep up the lifestyle and exercise regimen I do now. So, at some point I will develop diabetes. However, as diabetes is a long-term illness, it will not likely kill me before I die of something else first.
As mentioned earlier, genetics plays a big factor in diabetes development and progression. Eating poorly and not exercising does not *cause* diabetes, at least not in the sense. But if you are genetically predisposed, and then eat poorly and don't exercise, you will develop it.
I wonder about the whole genetics component. I realize genetics is a legitimate issue for many people (my husband deals with this and his cholesterol), but in my own experience I was told by my (former) doctor that I was genetically predisposed for type 2 diabetes. On my mother's side my great-grandfather, both grandparents and several uncles have type 2 diabetes. And back in 2012 I had a glucose number in the prediabetes range. The thing is-every single one of us were also overweight/obese. I'm the only one who actually lost the extra weight and since 2013 I've had consistent fasting glucose numbers in the 80s. So, am I actually genetically predisposed, or do my family members suffer from diabetes because of their weight? Are there cases where genetics are blamed, when it's actually a weight issue?
Genuinely curious about this/thinking out loud here
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I think being overweight is more likely to lead to T2D if you have the genetic disposition (in which case not being overweight and being active are strongly protective).
Various members of my family have been overweight/obese, but none have had T2D. I was obese and not even insulin resistant (although to be fair I was not obese that long, and was active during part of the time I was obese, so who knows what might have happened).3 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »I think being overweight is more likely to lead to T2D if you have the genetic disposition (in which case not being overweight and being active are strongly protective).
Various members of my family have been overweight/obese, but none have had T2D. I was obese and not even insulin resistant (although to be fair I was not obese that long, and was active during part of the time I was obese, so who knows what might have happened).
Thanks, that does make sense 2 -
I got fat from eating good fat. Homemade nut butters, olive oil, avocadoes.
So I hope my pancreas is a happier for dat fat, no processed sugar thing.
But still I have to do cico to get the fat I gained gone whether it was fats induced or sugar induced.
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Breaking the soda habit was hard for me but it has now been about 4 years? I had an immediate weight loss of about 5 pounds over the course of two months just from kicking the habit. Now soda just tastes gross.
As for this sugar campaign, I think it is a good idea. I think most parents have the best of intentions but allow "life" to interfere too much, making the lazier, easier choices. Having reminders helps a lot! I got lucky with both of my boys. One boy hates overly sweet drinks which includes soda. He will drink juice watered down - basically a shot glass of juice into a large glass of ice water - and he will drink raw cow and goats milk on occasion. My oldest son would drink soda and juice all day and all night long if we let him. I am afraid once he is out on his own, he will go hog wild for a while! However, right now, soda is perhaps a once or twice a month thing.
My whole family sort of went along for my weight loss ride, learning to love large salads (with homemade healthier dressings), more fruit and less packaged foods. They know the whole CICO and will often question whether that large slush is worth an hours worth of running around or less food later on ... I tell my boys that they don't have to follow what I do necessarily but they do only more food. After all, they are still growing at 14 and 17 ...0 -
Related to the topic of this thread (public campaigns against soda and sugary drinks), here's an article about Philadelphia's proposed soda tax: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/04/08/473548273/philly-wants-to-tax-soda-to-raise-money-for-schools
And here's an argument and debate (in the comments) re the proposal. (It's a left-leaning blog, but politics aside I think the underlying issue is worth discussion: http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2016/05/tax-the-rich-not-unhealthy-products.)0 -
This sounds like you're saying it is inevitable...
In some sense. I have the propensity for it. If I maintain my lifestyle and exercise level, I should hold it off. But the reality is that when I'm 80 I likely won't keep up the lifestyle and exercise regimen I do now. So, at some point I will develop diabetes. However, as diabetes is a long-term illness, it will not likely kill me before I die of something else first.
As mentioned earlier, genetics plays a big factor in diabetes development and progression. Eating poorly and not exercising does not *cause* diabetes, at least not in the sense. But if you are genetically predisposed, and then eat poorly and don't exercise, you will develop it.
SO does excess sugar consumption contribute to diabetes or not? My neighbours 14yr old son drinks soda every day, eats sweets all day and adds tbs of sugar to his already sugary cereal. His doctor has warned that he WILL get diabetes if he continues like this.0 -
I think that it depends on how strong the genetic defect in glucose metabolism is. No one in my immediate family has T2D, but pre-diabetes exists. My long-term blood sugar control (according to A1C and not fasting numbers) is higher than it should be, even though I'm not sedentary and have no excess body fat. So I have to be careful with what I eat, even though I'm not close to having too much body fat.ReaderGirl3 wrote: »This sounds like you're saying it is inevitable...
In some sense. I have the propensity for it. If I maintain my lifestyle and exercise level, I should hold it off. But the reality is that when I'm 80 I likely won't keep up the lifestyle and exercise regimen I do now. So, at some point I will develop diabetes. However, as diabetes is a long-term illness, it will not likely kill me before I die of something else first.
As mentioned earlier, genetics plays a big factor in diabetes development and progression. Eating poorly and not exercising does not *cause* diabetes, at least not in the sense. But if you are genetically predisposed, and then eat poorly and don't exercise, you will develop it.
I wonder about the whole genetics component. I realize genetics is a legitimate issue for many people (my husband deals with this and his cholesterol), but in my own experience I was told by my (former) doctor that I was genetically predisposed for type 2 diabetes. On my mother's side my great-grandfather, both grandparents and several uncles have type 2 diabetes. And back in 2012 I had a glucose number in the prediabetes range. The thing is-every single one of us were also overweight/obese. I'm the only one who actually lost the extra weight and since 2013 I've had consistent fasting glucose numbers in the 80s. So, am I actually genetically predisposed, or do my family members suffer from diabetes because of their weight? Are there cases where genetics are blamed, when it's actually a weight issue?
Genuinely curious about this/thinking out loud here
2 -
ReaderGirl3 wrote: »I wonder about the whole genetics component. I realize genetics is a legitimate issue for many people (my husband deals with this and his cholesterol), but in my own experience I was told by my (former) doctor that I was genetically predisposed for type 2 diabetes. On my mother's side my great-grandfather, both grandparents and several uncles have type 2 diabetes. And back in 2012 I had a glucose number in the prediabetes range. The thing is-every single one of us were also overweight/obese. I'm the only one who actually lost the extra weight and since 2013 I've had consistent fasting glucose numbers in the 80s. So, am I actually genetically predisposed, or do my family members suffer from diabetes because of their weight? Are there cases where genetics are blamed, when it's actually a weight issue?
Genuinely curious about this/thinking out loud here
The two issues are related. You can be obese and not have diabetes. You can be just mildly overweight and have diabetes. The issue that is confusing is that not everyone reacts the same way. And this is due to your particular genetic makeup, as well as the lifestyle you choose. So for cause and effect, *if* you are born a certain way (which you and I are), then the effect of being obese and sedentary will have a deleterious effect on you. Your family members have a genetic component, and their being overweight along with their genetics leads to diabetes. You and I have taken matters into our hands, have decided to fight what God has given us. By doing so, we are able to not develop diabetes at this point.3 -
ReaderGirl3 wrote: »I wonder about the whole genetics component. I realize genetics is a legitimate issue for many people (my husband deals with this and his cholesterol), but in my own experience I was told by my (former) doctor that I was genetically predisposed for type 2 diabetes. On my mother's side my great-grandfather, both grandparents and several uncles have type 2 diabetes. And back in 2012 I had a glucose number in the prediabetes range. The thing is-every single one of us were also overweight/obese. I'm the only one who actually lost the extra weight and since 2013 I've had consistent fasting glucose numbers in the 80s. So, am I actually genetically predisposed, or do my family members suffer from diabetes because of their weight? Are there cases where genetics are blamed, when it's actually a weight issue?
Genuinely curious about this/thinking out loud here
The two issues are related. You can be obese and not have diabetes. You can be just mildly overweight and have diabetes. The issue that is confusing is that not everyone reacts the same way. And this is due to your particular genetic makeup, as well as the lifestyle you choose. So for cause and effect, *if* you are born a certain way (which you and I are), then the effect of being obese and sedentary will have a deleterious effect on you. Your family members have a genetic component, and their being overweight along with their genetics leads to diabetes. You and I have taken matters into our hands, have decided to fight what God has given us. By doing so, we are able to not develop diabetes at this point.
Thanks!0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »
SO does excess sugar consumption contribute to diabetes or not? My neighbours 14yr old son drinks soda every day, eats sweets all day and adds tbs of sugar to his already sugary cereal. His doctor has warned that he WILL get diabetes if he continues like this.
There are certainly people who can eat like that their whole lives and not develop diabetes. He won't know until he's in his 20s or 30s. Then, if genetically predisposed, he will develop diabetes. But honestly, why take that chance? He should just reduce the excess sugar, as it certainly is not needed nutritionally.3 -
Christine_72 wrote: »
SO does excess sugar consumption contribute to diabetes or not? My neighbours 14yr old son drinks soda every day, eats sweets all day and adds tbs of sugar to his already sugary cereal. His doctor has warned that he WILL get diabetes if he continues like this.
There are certainly people who can eat like that their whole lives and not develop diabetes. He won't know until he's in his 20s or 30s. Then, if genetically predisposed, he will develop diabetes. But honestly, why take that chance? He should just reduce the excess sugar, as it certainly is not needed nutritionally.
I agree, it makes my stomach turn seeing what this kid eats. He would truly have a mammoth breakdown if his mum stopped buying this stuff. He's an amped up hyper little monster. I feel bad saying that, but I avoid being around him, it's a draining experience, to say the least..0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »Related to the topic of this thread (public campaigns against soda and sugary drinks), here's an article about Philadelphia's proposed soda tax: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/04/08/473548273/philly-wants-to-tax-soda-to-raise-money-for-schools
And here's an argument and debate (in the comments) re the proposal. (It's a left-leaning blog, but politics aside I think the underlying issue is worth discussion: http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2016/05/tax-the-rich-not-unhealthy-products.)
I'd have no problem with a 3 cent an ounce tax on sugary drinks if the cash went to healthcare1 -
I chalk that up to bad parenting... parents need to set the standards in the house. Food, exercise, video games, toys, etc.3
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I chalk that up to bad parenting... parents need to set the standards in the house. Food, exercise, video games, toys, etc.
Definitely! I have told her a thousand times to stop bringing it into the house. But she is literally scared of what he'll do. If there is such as a thing as a 'sugar addiction', this kid has got it1 -
Packerjohn wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »Related to the topic of this thread (public campaigns against soda and sugary drinks), here's an article about Philadelphia's proposed soda tax: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/04/08/473548273/philly-wants-to-tax-soda-to-raise-money-for-schools
And here's an argument and debate (in the comments) re the proposal. (It's a left-leaning blog, but politics aside I think the underlying issue is worth discussion: http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2016/05/tax-the-rich-not-unhealthy-products.)
I'd have no problem with a 3 cent an ounce tax on sugary drinks if the cash went to healthcare
I pretty much agree, although it's kind of perverse as it gets subsidized (corn) -- better to just get rid of the subsidy, but of course that's not happening and would have much broader effects.1 -
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I have 4 kids and 2 dogs. All six of them know that they do not make the decisions in the house. We all know who's in charge-- my wife!
Seriously, though, that parent needs to help their child, not capitulate to their demands.9 -
Christine_72 wrote: »This sounds like you're saying it is inevitable...
In some sense. I have the propensity for it. If I maintain my lifestyle and exercise level, I should hold it off. But the reality is that when I'm 80 I likely won't keep up the lifestyle and exercise regimen I do now. So, at some point I will develop diabetes. However, as diabetes is a long-term illness, it will not likely kill me before I die of something else first.
As mentioned earlier, genetics plays a big factor in diabetes development and progression. Eating poorly and not exercising does not *cause* diabetes, at least not in the sense. But if you are genetically predisposed, and then eat poorly and don't exercise, you will develop it.
SO does excess sugar consumption contribute to diabetes or not? My neighbours 14yr old son drinks soda every day, eats sweets all day and adds tbs of sugar to his already sugary cereal. His doctor has warned that he WILL get diabetes if he continues like this.
The science isn't clearly settled on that matter. Some studies find a link, although not as strong as other factors (obesity, genetics, etc.) Other studies find no link that is not explained by other factors. It's extremely hard to do studies on diet in general since in most human studies, researchers attempt to correlate self-reported dietary data with various conditions, and that dietary data itself has a huge number of correlations to all facets of lifestyle that have to be corrected for as confounding factors.
That's why we get all the confusing array of dietary recommendations - dietary studies are fairly unreliable, and often contradict each other depending on the specific population being studied and which confounding factors the researchers specifically identified and corrected for.
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