I happened upon an article (in the Wall Street Journals Market Watch section of all places) a few days ago, and when nothing off hand caught my attention, I went on to the next tab. Tonight when I was getting ready to restart my browser, I saw the article again. Only this time, something caught my eye. I started seeing familiar catch phrases.
– A sugar is a sugar, whether it comes from honey, high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, or fruit juices. Nutritionally they’re all the same. Moderation is the key.
– Parents and teachers are important role models for their kids when it comes to healthy habits.
Then I see it. SweetSurprise.com The digital golden girl of the corn industries’ placebo campaign to increase HFCS consumption.
So now my interest is peaked, and I read the rest of it.
The basics
The story is reporting on a survey that found that more parents are concerned with individual ingredients rather than their children’s total caloric intake. Ok, that’s simple enough. It then pulls several quotations come from a Dr. James M. Rippe. He’s a cardiologist and biomed professor at the University of Central Florida. And basically he blames the fact that people aren’t as active.
Of course he would. He’s considered the father of the walking movement and has written several books on a sedentary lifestyle. Seems like someone you can trust.
What the article doesn’t mention is that the good Dr. is partnered with Conagra Foods, one of the largest processed foods manufactures in the country. Known for such nutritionally dubious brands such as Banquet, Chef Boyardee, along with other brands such as Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt’s, Marie Callender’s, Orville Redenbacher’s, Reddi-wip, and PAM.
I wonder, as a cardiologist, what his view point on the more-than-a-total-days-recommended-value of sodium per serving that many of these brand names carry. I’m not saying they are all bad, but
The other thing the article never mentions is that the study was done by Conagra themselves. I would sure love to see the questions that were asked.
As far as the basis of the article, now that more parents are waking up to the expanse of artificial ingredients in our food supply and become more discerning of what they feed their children, calorie levels will drop on their own. The empty calorie laden food purchases will be passed over in favor of fruits and vegetables and the HFCS industry will lose even more money.
How wonderful is that.
