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New public health campaign against sugar.

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Replies

  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Serah87 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
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    Serah87 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!!!

    I think recommendations are to avoid excessive sugar consumption, not all - only on MFP do I see the extremes bandied about. In the U.S. they haven't set an upper limit for sugar consumption but some countries determined 90g-100g is reasonable for a 2,000 calorie diet.

    If health is a concern I think a prudent person would err on the side of caution and make some adjustments to their diet if they regularly exceed those limits instead of blowing them off. At least until some of the results from ongoing research come in and we know more either way.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    adremark wrote: »
    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?
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    ilex70 wrote: »
    It would be a lot better if they swapped "contribute to" for "cause" IMO.

    "Cause" is a bit strong.

    I see this quite a bit with articles aimed at a lay audience. Some writers figure that lay people won't understand terms such as "are associated with" or "correlate with", and dumbing down can lead to a loss of the correct meaning.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Serah87 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

    The thing is, consumption of anything without limit can contribute to obesity, "empty" calories or not.
    Yet here we are, on MFP where it's always sugar that's singled out, even when the concrete named examples often have more fat calories than anything.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
    I think this campaign were great if it said "obesity can lead to.." all the things listed. Sugar is not the only culprit. I got nice and plump eating too much of everything else...I rarely consumed sugary things.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    Serah87 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.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    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.
  • adremark
    adremark Posts: 774 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    adremark wrote: »
    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.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    adremark wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    adremark wrote: »
    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...
  • adremark
    adremark Posts: 774 Member
    J72FIT wrote: »
    adremark wrote: »
    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.
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,958 Member
    adremark wrote: »
    J72FIT wrote: »
    adremark wrote: »
    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...
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    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.
  • adremark
    adremark Posts: 774 Member
    edited May 2016
    J72FIT 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.