SUGAR SHOCK! Blog

Food Commercials Confuse & Mislead Kids

Of course, we already knew this, but a new study finds that young kids -- who are barraged by TV commercials nudging them to eat unhealthy, sugar-, fat-, and salt-filled processed foods -- are receiving misleading nutritional messages.

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign -- who studied 134 children in the first through third grades -- found that the kids were confused as to which foods would help them grow up to become "strong and healthy."

In particular, the children were perplexed when it came to foods labeled "fat-free" or "diet."

Send Letters to Keep Buying Vitamins!

If you enjoy having the freedom to take vitamins and dietary supplements to combat your sugar cravings, improve your health, and more, then please make your voice heard now -- before Monday, July 4.

Take 60 seconds now, dash off your (already written letter) created by Citizens for Health and make your voice heard. 

Tell your friends, too, about this important issue.

Most Type 2 Diabetics Don't Control Blood Sugar

Darn, this is sad, scary, shocking news.

A whopping two-thirds of type 2 diabetics in the United States aren't controlling their blood sugar, Science Daily reported, citing a new study from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

The AACE analyzed more than 157,000 patients with type 2 diabetes from 2003 to 2004 and found that two out of three didn't keep their blood sugar below the recommended AIC level of 6.5 percent.

Not only that, but these patients -- while they knew that monitoring their blood sugar was important -- didn't know what test they should take and what personal level for which they should aim.

Obesity Triggers Soaring Health Costs

As Americans are gaining more and more girth and flab, their health care costs have jumped tenfold, says a new study published in the online edition of Health Affairs.

Researchers from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia found that treating conditions linked to obesity skyrocketed from $3.6 billion to $36.5 billion from 1987 to 2002, Emory University announced. (To put it another way, obesity-related health problems increased from 2 percent to 11.6 percent of all health spending.)

This means that for a typical obese adult, medical costs were $272 more (than for a normal-weight person) in 1987 to $1,244 more in 2002.

With some 30 million U.S. adults now obese, all are at risk for numerous chronic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease.

Children's Food Advertising Report Proposed

A report on food advertising to children is in the works, Commercial Alert reports.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science approved an amendment by U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) to require the Federal Trade Commission to produce an analysis of commercial advertising to children by July 1, 2006.

The amendment calls for the report to provide a comprehensive look at the food industry's marketing activities, including product placement in TV shows, movies, and video games.

Drivers With Diabetic Reactions Collide in Wisconsin

Matthew Peabody, a diabetic, won't get behind the wheel of a car anymore.

That's because on May 25, the 37-year-old Wisconsin resident slammed into an oncoming pickup truck while having a diabetic reaction, according to the GazetteXtra in Janesville, Wisconsin.

Now, he's worried. "I may hurt myself, or I may hurt somebody else," said Peabody, 37, who's had six operations to repair damage to his legs, ankles, and feet."

Peabody is the latest of at least a dozen diabetics since 1983 who got into collisions and caused injuries while having diabetic reactions near the Janesville, Wisconsin area.

The recent Wisconsin car accidents pinpoint the urgent need for diabetics to take good care of themselves so that their blood glucose (blood sugar) doesn't get too high or too low.

Whoah! McDonald's Brings Back 42 Oz. Soda in Chicago

Monster-sized soft drinks are back at McDonald's -- at least in the Chicago area.

While it's unclear what's happening in the rest of the country, 15 months after the fast-food company publicly announced that "super-sized" portions of drinks and fries are history, Chicago-area restaurants are rolling out extra-large sodas again, Chicago Red Streak reported.

The humongous, 42-ounce, nutrient-lacking soft drinks--which deliver a 410-calorie jolt and a whopping amount of high fructose corn syrup--are free to people who buy a Big Mac and fries as part of a month-long promotion, according to a company spokesperson.

"This is not super-sizing," said Anna Rozenzich.

Excuse me? Am I missing something?

I find that ridiculous assertion tough to swallow.

Kids Gulp 2 to 4 Cans of Soda or Fruit Drinks a Day

Previously, I reported that a Tufts University researcher found that soda and sweet drinks are the biggest source of of calories for most Americans.

Another research paper (or "Invited Commentary" titled "Are soft drinks a scapegoat for childhood obesity?" in the May Journal of Pediatrics) revealed that U.S. adolescents swig down, on average, nearly two 12-ounce servings per day or the equivalent of 20 teaspoons of sugar and 300 calories.

But a quarter of all teens drink even more -- chugging as many as four servings of sugary drinks a day or 40 teaspoons of sugar and 600 calories.

They also found that "sweetened soft drinks amount to 40% of all added sugars in a child's diet and with the addition of fruit drinks, more than 50%."

USDA Denies Petition to Restrict Junk Food in Schools

The movement to toss soda, candy, chewing gum, and other junk food out of our nation's schools has suffered a huge blow, according to Commercial Alert, a consumer advocacy group which seeks to defend our nation's young from flagrant commercialism.

As Commercial Alert laments on its blog, the U.S. Department of Agriculture rejected its petition to enforce its own competitive foods rule, which prohibits public schools from selling `foods of minimal nutritional value' during mealtimes in school cafeterias."

"The rule was designed to promote the health of school children, but enforcement today is lax to non-existent," bemoans Gary Ruskin, executive director of the group, that's been lobbying hard to keep our kids from scarfing junk food that could lead to obesity and hence diabetes.

Kicking Sweets? Laugh at "Top 100 Hoaxes Of All Time"

This post isn't about sugar, diabetes, or artificial sweeteners. But this belongs here, because you can help your health, boost your healing, and ease out of your sugar habit by getting guffaws, cracking quips, or generating giggles.

Norman Cousins wrote about the power of humor. So did numerous other authors. So, if you're kicking (or thinking about stopping) sweets and quickie carbs, stop taking it all so seriously and lighten up.

Besides, bear in mind that if you're chuckling and chortling, you can't really put any cookies, candies or other inferior carb in your mouth at the same time!

One fun source for for levity is the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes Of All Time, compiled and written by "hoaxpert" (hoax expert) Alex Boese, who founded the Museum of Hoaxes in 1997 as part of his doctoral dissertation. (He's currently working on his second book, about modern-day hoaxes, to be published spring 2006.)

The Museum of Hoaxes:
A History of Outrageous Pranks and Deceptions

Junk Food Ousted From New Jersey Schools

	Yet another success for the boot-junk-food-out-of-the-schools movement. Junk food and soda are being expelled, so to speak, from New Jersey public schools, beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year. That means high-sugar and high-fat foods are out. Hurrah to acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who demonstrates a lot more concern about the state of our children's health than his counterpart in Connecticut. "We are setting New Jersey's children on a course they can follow even as adults for longer, healthier and more enjoyable lives," acting Gov. Codey told CNN. Health advocates, who believe that such potentially obesity-generating candy and soft drinks shouldn't be sold in our nation's schools, applaud New Jersey's historic step.

Numbers of Diagnosed Diabetics Jump

We simply can't escape the sad diabetes news. Now, we're discovering that the number of diagnosed diabetics jumped a whopping  41 % between 1997 and 2003, according to investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While it's unclear whether the huge increase has to do with changing diagnostic criteria or increased detection, the upswing in obesity certainly plays a role.

The incidence of diabetes rose from 4.9 to 6.9 per 1000 people aged 18 to 79, pointed out Dr. Linda S. Geiss, who is quoted In Diabetes Today, which got its story from Reuters Health.

But, as members of the medical community repeatedly harp, research shows that you can delay or even prevent diabetes by exercising more and losing weight. And one way to trim your tummy is to break away from your dependence on sweets and refined carbs.For help to get out from under your quickie-carbs habit and shed unwanted pounds, join my free online KickSugar support group.

Thanks to the "Diet King": SugarShockBlog.com Featured on Blog

Thanks so much to "Diet King" Adam Wilk for his really nice post today, which featured this SugarShockBlog.com, my SugarShock.com website, and more!

See what Adam said by visiting his http://www.dietking.blogspot.com/ or read the entire entry below:

"Say Hello To Connie Bennett!

"I received such a nice email last night from Connie Bennett, the author of the upcoming book, "SUGAR SHOCK!"

"You should check out her website, "SugarShock.com" for lots of valuable information on the latest news regarding the problems excessive sugar consumption presents. You'll also get to learn her story, how she struggled for years, going from doctor to doctor, trying to figure out what was causing her myriad of symptoms mimicking other diseases. Finally, one wise physician cleared her diet of all refined/processed carbohydrates and yes, her symptoms began fading away. Now it is her mission to help others escape the clutches of sugar addiction--she's doing this through her website and her terrifically clean, easy-to-read-and-navigate blog, aptly titled, SugarShockBlog.com.

"So, let's welcome Connie to the carbohydrate wars! By the way, her cartoons are adorable, too."

Adam Wilk/Diet King"

Kids Eat More When Given Large Servings

If you put a large plate of food in front of pre-school children, they'll eat it, even if if they've had a lot to eat at their last meal, according to Cornell University researchers, who tracked the eating habits of 16 kids, aged 4 to 6 for up to 7 days in a row.

The study, released in this month's Appetite, shows that the "most powerful determinant of the amount of food consumed at meals was amount served."

"We found that portion size is, by far, the most important factor in predicting how much a child will eat," David Levitsky, professor of nutritional sciences and psychology, told UPI.

Sweet Drinks Top the Consuming Charts

Move over white bread. Soda and sweet drinks are most Americans' single largest source of daily calories. Ouch! But then again, we already knew that, right? All we have to do is look around us, on any given day, in any given place, and we'll see throngs of  folks mindlessly chugging down empty-calorie, sugary concoctions.

But what we witness on a daily basis is now being confirmed by reputable researchers from Tufts University, who unveiled preliminary findings and are preparing a more comprehensive paper, to be released soon.

Odilia Bermudez, Ph.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, painstakingly analyzed data about the self-reported diets off a large nationwide sample of American adults participating in the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

More than two thirds of those surveyed 'fessed up that soda and/or sweet drinks --which are our nation's largest single source of fructose corn syrup--made up the bulk of their daily calories--more so than any other food.

Potato Farmers Seeking to Banish Term "Couch Potato"

I just had to laugh today when I read a story that a group of British potato farmers demonstrated outside Parliament in London to banish the term "couch potato" from the Oxford English Dictionary.

They did what?

Yes, some 30 protesters--who carried signs like "Couch potato out" and "Ban the term couch potato"--want the world to knew they're fed up with the oft-used, derogatory "couch potato" phrase, which people invoke to evoke images of slothful, often-obese, boob-tube addicts.

Come on, I just muster up much in the way of empathy for this ludicrous, toss-out-the-couch-potato-phrase movement.

But apparently the British Potato Council--which represents some 4,000 growers and processors--takes it quite seriously. The group staged the outlandish publicity stunt to bring attention to the fact that the phrase, "couch potato," does its food a "disservice." 

Give me a break. Image, shimage, to even suggest ousting a word from the venerable Oxford English Dictionary is blasphemy! 

Yeah, yeah, the beleaguered spud has taken a beating in recent years, in large part, due to the potato-spurning, low-carb movement.

Blog Spotlight: Nutritionist Jonny Bowden Offers Insights Galore

Nutritionist Jonny Bowden, M.A., C.N.S. offers some compelling commentary and thought-provoking ideas on his blog, in his posts, "Expensive to Eat Healthy?" (Monday, May 9, 2005), "The Single Biggest Error People Make About Nutrition" (Thursday, June 9, 2005), and "Is Being Overweight Healthy? The New JAMA Study (Sunday, May 15, 2005). (Ah heck, just read all his posts; he's so darn insightful and articulate.)

You see, I'm sold on Jonny. He's one of those eloquent, cutting-edge, sugar-savvy nutritionists, to whom you'll want to listen. (Each time I called him with yet another question for my book SUGAR SHOCK!, he graciously took time out for an interview, always offering helpful, quotable explanations, remarks, and dietary tips.)

Vitamin-Spiked Candy? Isn't That An Oxymoron?

Oh goodness, this new sugary development has got to take the cake, if you'll pardon the worn-out pun. Makers of chewy candies are now targeting fitness enthusiasts by stoking some of their sweet nibbles with vitamins, ginseng, caffeine, and even guarana, the Associated Press reported.

Indeed, at the recent All Candy Expo (where you certainly didn't see me set foot!) the Jelly Belly Candy Co. of Fairfield, California introduced "Sports Beans," which are spiked with Vitamins C and E, plus 120 milligrams of electrolytes to boost energy and prevent dehydration.

Yikes! Vitamins C, E, and electrolytes were plopped into vitamin-bereft candy?

Col. Supreme Court Upholds Low Blood Sugar Defense

An insulin-dependent diabetic man convicted of trying to kill his wife won a chance for a new trial when the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that under certain conditions, hypoglycemia or low blood sugar can cause "involuntary intoxication," meaning the defendant wasn't responsible for his actions.

"The court ruling gives legal standing to something diabetics and medical authorities have known for a long time," which is that "low blood sugar can have serious affects on the way people act," KRDO-TV in Colorado Springs reported.

Colorado joins Texas and Washington in allowing the hypoglycemia involuntary intoxication defense.

Some greeted the decision with skepticism. Bob Grant, executive director of the Colorado District Attorney's Council, told the Denver Post that he fears the ruling could set off a wave of defenses relating to medication.

He also noted that the defendant, Steve David Garcia, Jr. had misued his medication in a 1999 incident when he injected himself with a large dose of insulin, because he was planning to eat ice cream and cake at his teenage daughter's birthday party. But then he didn't eat anything afterwards although he knew it could lead to adverse reactions. Later, he hit his wife with a hammer and drove over her with a van. During his trial, Garcia claimed he wasn't legally responsible for attacking his wife, because of his hypoglycemic reaction.

Shame on Reporters Critical of Cookie Monster's New Moderate Habits

Back in 1998, I adored cookies, especially chocolate chip. But even before I started saying no to cookies, candies, and cake (on doctor’s orders) for the sake of my health, I never condemned others, especially beloved fictional creatures, for shunning cookies—especially in an article that thousands would read.

So I’m simply appalled that certain fellow journalists have been griping that "Sesame Street’s” beloved large-mouthed, goggly-eyed “Cookie Monster”—who used to devour cookies by the plateful—is becoming a nutrition-savvy creature who eats fewer and fewer cookies.

That’s right, some reporters and columnists—even from three publications to which I’ve either previously contributed or served on staff—have been finding fault with the fact that the endearing, grinning, blue critter now joyfully sings, "Me eat less cookies! Me eat less cookies!"

Ah come on, given our climate of runaway obesity and related diseases, how can it be a bad thing that the blue furry furrball—whose purpose is to entertain and educate our nation's young kids—is learning restraint and cutting down on cookies?

In case you're baffled (as I am) why some would view it "blasphemous" for the Cookie Monster to change his cookie-chomping habits, let me bring you up to date.

After "Sesame Street's" 36th season kicked off April 4 on PBS Kids, some writers blasted the blue creature's new, positive food habits, as the Washington Post explains it.