Adolescent obesity rates have tripled in the past 30 years and childhood obesity rates have doubled. Many of us are aware of this; nevertheless beyond the studies and all the initiatives to curb childhood obesity, all you need to do is to visit an amusement park, school or mall to truly see what is happening. One factor that seems to be prevalent in obese children is fat accumulation in the trunk area of the body. Why? One explanation may be the increase in fructose-laden beverages. A 2010 study in children found that excess fructose intake (but not glucose intake) actually caused visceral fat cells to mature -- setting the stage for a big belly and even bigger future risk for heart disease and diabetes.
And the blame overwhelmingly lies with... Uncle Sam
Before you start blaming the food industry, consider this: they had to switch from sugar to cheaper corn syrup in beverages (and other products) because domestic sugar costs about 3 times as much as imported sugar - which is not allowed into the country, to protect sugar cane and beet growers.
Isn't this just another wonderful example of the "Road to hell is paved with good intentions?"