Two Miami-Dade County lawmakers want products with high-fructose corn syrup to be banned from school grounds. Thank you! Thank you!
As you can see in The Miami Herald, they see a link between high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and childhood obesity and diabetes.
"It's the crack of sweeteners," state Rep. Juan Zapata, a Miami Republican, told the newspaper. Zapata has filed a bill that would ban school districts from selling or using products containing HFCS. A Senate version has been filed by Sen. Gwen Margolis, (D-Bay Harbor Island).
To see politicians get it, especially in Florida, is a sign that people are starting to understand the dangers of HFCS.
I realize the American Diabetes Association has to do what it does, but I wish it would take a stronger stand on HFCS. In the article, Tuesdi Fenter, a spokeswoman for the American Diabetes Association, agrees. "We don't think that high-fructose corn syrup is the enemy," she said. "People can have anything they want as long as it's in moderation."
It is good to teach diabetics that nothing is bad in moderation, but it doesn't go after whether HFCS is playing a significant role. That the ADA may not want to get involved is its issue. But it really should rethink that, given the population it serves.
The U.S. is the only country to use HFCS. It's not just video games and questionable exercise programs.
The article also mentions studies, at the University of California/Davis and the University of Michigan, that have shown that fructose is more readily converted to fat by the liver, and increased the fat in the bloodstream in the form of triglycerides.
I found this sentence compelling: "Lawmakers also say that consuming products made with high-fructose corn syrup causes hunger and leads to overeating." I have been saying that for years.
Implementing the plan can prove to be challenging, given how many products carry HFCS. But it would be fun to see it happen. Aaron McGruder, you are not the only one.
Comments