Blog Schmog

The Real Reason Americans are FAT:

If high fructose corn syrup is on the ingredient list, leave the product on the supermarket shelf. This is essential because beyond the empty calories that come with these foods, the fructose found in HFCS actually blocks leptin from letting your brain know that you’re done eating. And because your brain also doesn’t recognize fructose as a real food, it makes you want to keep eating. In other words, fructose makes your appetite run amok — you’re driven to eat with no brake on your appetite. (According to Mehmet Oz, M.D., better known as Dr. Oz)

This is pandemic because, since its introduction, HFCS has begun to replace sugar in various processed foods in the United States. The main reasons for this switch are:

• HFCS is somewhat cheaper in the United States as a result of a combination of corn subsidies and sugar tariffs/quotas.^[13] Since the mid 1990s, the United States federal government has subsidized corn growers by $40 billion.^[14]
• HFCS is easier to blend and transport because it is a liquid.^[15]

What’s devastating about this information is that:

Leptin, which is a protein that’s secreted by our bodies’ own fat, works the weight loss problem from on the other end. While ghrelin controls how hungry (or not) we feel, leptin controls how full we feel and lets us know when it’s time to put down the fork and push back from the table. And it also helps us burn more calories. “If you can get your leptin levels high, you’ll have a greater ability to keep your hunger and appetite in check,” says Dr. Oz.