The problem of sugar

Because https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/

sheldonklein wrote: »

Because https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/does-the-movie-fed-up-make-sense/

^Yep.

And if you can't be bothered to read that, OP... basically, there's nothing wrong with sugar and Fed Up is total broscience. Which is of course to say, it's not real science at all and gets most things wrong. What matters for weight loss is calories. Nothing else. You could literally eat all your calories in skittles and still lose weight.
Now, what matters for nutrition is your macros and micros. So, obviously, nobody is saying you should just go out and eat only sugar. We're saying there is absolutely nothing wrong with sugar (barring a medical condition like diabetes) in moderation. As long as you've hit your protein goal there's nothing wrong with filling in the rest of your carbs/fat/calories with a chocolate bar.

leaderofthekhalasar wrote: »

I have a question which in itself probably has a very obvious answer that I am just unaware of.
Why is MFPs daily sugar goal (70g) almost three times higher than the AHA (American heart association)?

Because the AHA and other limits focus on added sugar and it's not possible to separate that out based on current labels so the MFP limit includes sugar from fruit, dairy, and vegetables, which no one rational says to limit. So the MFP limit estimates a typical amount of intrinsic sugar is included and caps at 15% of calories.

It's also hard to MFP to pick a good number, because even 15% of calories is quite low for someone at 1200 calories. So it can get hit from a couple of pieces of fruit, some vegetables, and plain yogurt or the like.

If anybody has seen the documentary Fed Up they'll know that sugar is a much higher factor in weight gain than most other things because the body turns the excess into insulin and stores it as fat.

This is false. If Fed Up said that it is spreading misinformation, but this is also something commonly misunderstood. If you are at a calorie deficit you cannot gain net fat. Your body stores and uses fat all the time and what matters is energy (calorie) deficit or surplus.

The reason the AHA et al recommend reducing added sugar is that it usually comes with lots of fat and calories and is low in nutrients. Lowering it usually increases the health of one's diet and decreases calories (at least for the numerous Americans eating an excess).

I'm presuming the AHA recommendations are for added sugar whereas the MFP guideline is for total sugar intake.

Incidentally, the reason for obesity is a rise in total calorie consumption (which sugar can indeed contribute to as it can make food hyper palatable especially combined with fat 1:1 making over eating more likely.)

leaderofthekhalasar wrote: »

If anybody has seen the documentary Fed Up they'll know that sugar is a much higher factor in weight gain than most other things because the body turns the excess into insulin and stores it as fat.

LOL.

If anyone has seen the documentary Aliens, they'll know that they mostly come out at night. Mostly.

I sometimes wonder if the producers of Fed Up are tired of people poo-pooing their hard work and are sending minions to nip at our heels.