Diet Fads Come And Go…..

Cursed by dieters everywhere, and loved by children around the
world, sugar is one those substances we ‘love to hate’ and ‘hate
to love’! It can make bland foods tasty and can make the dentist
rich. Americans love sugar in all forms, from pure white
granulated to liquid to fluffy cotton candy. As a nation, it’s
fair to say that we’ve developed a love affair with sugar!

But at what cost? Our ever-expanding waistlines are due, in
part, to our sugar infatuation. Many of us try to eat healthier,
only to be pushed into consuming even more sugar! Take for
example the low-fat craze of the 1980′s and ’90′s, pushed by the
federal government’s proclomation that FAT IS BAD. As soon as
Americans started demanding low-fat products, the food
manufacturers responded by flooding the market with low-fat,
high-sugar foods…..and we loved it. Honestly, how many of us
have chowed down an entire box of Hot Tamales candy and
justified it because they’re ‘fat-free’? Cotton candy, that
staple of the county fair, is also fat-free! Hard candy, jelly
beans, licorice and oh so many more foods found their way into
our mouths – all justified because of their fat-free status.

But at what cost? Common sense, reinforced by our expanding
size, soon reminded us that it’s EXCESS CALORIES THAT MAKE US
FAT, and that SUGAR HAS CALORIES! It took us only a decade or so
to figure out that just because a food is fat-free, doesn’t mean
that it’s good for us!

Again, the food industry responded (and is still responding) by
giving us loads and loads of sugar-free food. From ice cream to
candy to soda, sugar-free is fast replacing fat-free as the new
standard of ‘healthy’.

Our scientists have created many different sugar substitutes for
us to enjoy: DiabetiSweet, Splenda, Equal, Sucralose, Xylitol,
Stevia, NutraSweet, aspartame, tagatose, saccharin, and many
many more. Even the Pepsi Slushie, that icon from our youth, now
has a sugar-free version!

But at what cost? Do we really know everything we need to know
about the sugar replacements on the market today? Take saccharin
for example. Saccharin has been used to sweeten foods and
beverages without calories or carbohydrates for over a century.
Its use was considerable during the sugar shortages of the two
world wars, particularly in Europe.

Later, however, we find some experts debating the safety of
saccharin: “In a joint letter, the scientists told the National
Toxicology Program, a division of the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, that declaring saccharin safe
would ‘result in greater exposure to this probable carcinogen in
tens of millions of people, including children (indeed,
fetuses). If saccharin is even a weak carcinogen, this
unnecessary additive would pose an intolerable risk to the
public.’”. (Source: cspinet.org)

Now, citing new research, some scientists are claiming that
sugar-free foods may not help us lose weight! As with many
topics, the experts don’t agree on this issue. What’s important
to note, however, is that some doctors believe that the
sugar-free craze might be just a bad case of deja vu similar to
the fat-free craze of decades past.

So, when the year 2030 rolls around, will we all be looking back
in disbelief wondering how in the heck we ever believed in that
sugar-free nonsense? Only time will tell. In the meantime, it’s
important to know that BALANCE IS THE KEY to everything. Balance
a healthy diet (eating foods in moderation) with a regular
exercise program. Let the experts debate all day long about what
to eat and what not to eat…..while they’re trying to figure
out the ‘magic formula’ for the perfect diet, we’ll be
maintaining a healthy weight through exercise!!

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