Crazy 8s plus Sugar = Poison

The USDA has just issued its latest list of dietary guidelines. Compared to the older guidelines, issued five years ago, the new version does not malign fat as much, and it is slightly more critical of sweets, but it does not go far enough in identifying the real villain in the fight against obesity — sugar.
Candy, cookies, donuts, soda pop, pastries — they all are mouth watering, and they bring an almost ecstatic sense of taste pleasure to many Americans. Unfortunately, the ingredient that makes these foods so pleasurable is the same ingredient that is responsible for the proliferation of obesity in this country.
In a seemingly cruel and sadistic ploy, nature has addicted many of us to a food product that is our worst dietary enemy. Sugar is the direct cause of obesity, high serum cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure in some people.
According to government reports, 18 percent of Americans are obese.
This compares to a 12 percent obesity rate only 10 years ago.
The irony is that over the same 10 years, Americans have generally followed the guidelines issued by the USDA and the American Diabetic Association stressing a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet.
It seems as though a low-fat diet actually causes obesity, when the fat is replaced with sugars and starches.
The USDA originally planned to put out a new guideline advising Americans to restrict their consumption of sugar. But, thanks to lobbying from the sugar industry, the recommendation was toned down significantly.
“That’s a big defeat for health advocates who are fighting poor nutrition and obesity,” said Michael Jacobson, director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
And it’s a big defeat for overweight Americans, most of whom will remain overweight unless they severely limit not only their consumption of sugar, but also their consumption of all high-starch products like refined flour and potatoes.
Dr. Merrill Wesemann, a Franklin physician, agrees that refined sugar and flour products are the real problem, but not just for the obese.
“Eating refined carbohydrates is not good for anybody —period,” he said. “Yet that is what the modern American diet mainly consists of, and that is why obesity is on the rise.”
Many health experts are beginning to understand that sugar and starches, not fat, are the real culprits in the onset of obesity and type-2 diabetes. Research indicates that excess sugar is converted to stored fat by the body more readily than excess dietary fat. Extra sugar also tends to increase cholesterol.

Triple Nickel drudged through 4.5 miles and 450 repetitions of various core exercises. PBC did 4 miles and 450 reps.

Attendance:

Leslie 26
Kaffee 25
Harriott 23
John S 23
Gary 21
Dave B 20
Caroline 19
Fred 19
Holly 19
Mary Blythe 19
Matthew 19
Mary 18
Cleve 17
Amy 16
Charlie 16
Irene 16
Jennifer 16
Jimmy F 16
Miller 16
Allison 15
John O 15
Dave D 14
Lisa 13
Prancey 13
Slawek 13
Carolyn 11
Lisa M. 10
Michael 10
Charles 9
Sally 9
Kerry 8
Lucy 7
Scott 7
John Mears 6
Marc 5
Big John 3

PBC:Liz 21
Susie Mac 21
Jenny 18
David B 16
Kristin 15
Kathleen 15
Mary 13
Missy 11
Anne 7