so, what do you think of the new pro-hfcs ad campaigns?
High Fructose Corn Syrup - there are a couple of new commercials airing on tv that try to portray it as being a natural food that is ok, and imply that thinking otherwise is a bit ditzy.
I think the corn industry is getting very nervous. We're onto them.
Now, we need to worry about the manufacturer's of artificial sweetners. Have you noticed how many products now contain Splenda? Jeeze! Do people not appreciate the delicious flavor of naturally sweet foods anymore? Do we even know what natural sweetness tastes like?
High Fructose Corn Syrup - there are a couple of new commercials airing on tv that try to portray it as being a natural food that is ok, and imply that thinking otherwise is a bit ditzy.
Does a commercial like this affect your opinion of HFCS?
A teeny bit. I've actually switched to real sugar in my coffee and have been a little leary of Splenda and NSA foods that are mysteriously sweetened (like NSA chocolate or ice cream) and wonder if just having natural sugar is better for me in the long run and just managing my servings/quantities. I mean, I'm only having one teaspoon of sugar in my coffee. I don't know what that equals out to in grams.
But I have been wondering about the balance or pros/cons of natural sugar vs. artificial sweeteners and thinking that I may just be replacing the sugar with chemicals and thinking, "What's worse?"
As to HFCS, I also question the 'naturalness' of it...they claim its natural, but it doesn't LOOK natural. And I have personally pointed my finger at HFCS as the cause of many people becoming diabetic...or at least contributing greatly. Its in EVERYTHING.
But, yes, I saw that ad as a desperate ploy because, as GirlyGirl said, they know we're on to them and their evil ways.
I despise them. I consider them insulting to the American people and the intelligence of our nation. You might think I'd be exaggerating, but no...I really am that passionate.
These commercials, essentially, are playing on the idea that most Americans take their health information directly from advertisements, without doing research to see what the information actually is. So they're playing on the idea that, because most people won't take the time to research what, exactly, the problems with HFCS are, they will replace their unresearched ideas about HFCS being bad with unresearched ideas about HFCS being good.
Fact of the matter is, when the smarmy people pouring the juice drink in the commercials say "like what?" in the response to the "You know what they say about it" question, the other person could respond:
-That fructose, as compared to glucose, causes stronger Maillard (browning) reactions in foods, which can decrease nutrient availability.
-That fructose, unlike glucose, must be first processed in the liver before being used as free blood sugar in the blood, which taxes the liver and affects ATP storage levels in the liver.
-That high fructose diets seem to affect copper levels in the body and inhibit copper metabolism.
-Preliminary research indicates that, moreso than sugar, high fructose consumption may be associated with changes in triglyceride levels.
But this commercial implies that people just aren't SMART enough to know about the research, and therefore tries to make them feel stupid. Which I consider to be at best, insulting, and at worst, offensive.
I found the ad amusing. If people have made a decision to cut out the HFCS then 9 times out of 10, they've done more research than just asking a girlfriend about it. What it does is draw attention to HFCS by those that weren't previously aware of the dangers of it. they may lose more sales instead of gain back users.
The commercial I saw made me mad. The, "Oh yeah....well you're stupid" argument, like what children do. They obviously can't come up with enough valid information to defend the stuff, so they just say "it's natural" and then try to make the other person look like an idiot for ever worrying about it.
I was kind of happy to see the commercials because of their "it's fine in moderation" stance. Obviously they have a reason for putting it out there and they don't particularly care if we're doing it in moderation, but I like for people to know that a little of this and a little of that won't keep you from maintaining a healthy weight or from losing weight. When I lost 110 pounds I didn't cut anything completely out. If I'd tried to cut out HFCS, I would've lasted about one day and then gone right back to my old eating habits the next time the sun came up (just like I always did when I tried the low-carb diets). Some people do a great job with cutting out stuff completely. For the rest of us, we do better with eating healthy stuff MOST of the time and still indulging in "bad" stuff in moderation. The "HFCS will kill you" rants have been getting on my nerves for a while, to be honest.
Wooooowwwwwwwwwwww. Just wow. For all the excellent reasons people have already listed. They can't actually expect people to buy this garbage? People who know about HFCS have obviously done their research and I can't imagine anyone would change their opinion just because some ad told them to. Show me the proof that HFCS comes from corn!
Actually, wait guys...some TV ad just informed me that cyanide is actually good for you... Let's all go have some of that in "moderation"...
What an insult to people's intelligence.
Edit: I don't know if any of you guys have checked out that website but it's equally aggravating. They cite a bunch of scientific journals but I'm going to skim a couple of them and see specifically what's being said.
Last edited by rockstar87; 09-10-2008 at 02:20 PM.
It is considered "natural" by the FDAs definition of natural (which is that it's derived from a natural source), but I sure don't consider anything made with GMO crops to be natural. Not to mention, it's so processed that it's about as far away from an ear of corn as you can get.
The ads bug me. We don't have a TV, but I looked them up online. They're very patronizing. Hello? American's are not idiots!
To add to mandalinn's list is the fact that hfcs impedes proper leptin function. Hfcs, since it is processed by the liver, fails to raise the bodies levels of leptin. Leptin, along with insulin, help you realize you are full. Fructose is also, more readily turned into fat by the body, instead of being used as immediate energy.
The sad reality is that many people don't do the research and will base their opinions on commercials and what some talking heads spout out.
I love how the commercial doesn't tell you WHY HFCS is ok just that it's "natural". WTH does that mean anyway? Most average Joe's kicking back on the couch and watching TV won't know or care enough to find out.
For those of us who have spent time researching our health and what we're putting into our bodies... it obviously seems insulting to watch it.
But, do you remember back in the day, all of the fad diets that people went on because a commercial said it would work? What about infomercials? It seems insulting but there are so many people that are looking for an excuse to not have limit their dietary choices, that they'll believe anything without researching.
For those of us who have spent time researching our health and what we're putting into our bodies... it obviously seems insulting to watch it.
But, do you remember back in the day, all of the fad diets that people went on because a commercial said it would work? What about infomercials? It seems insulting but there are so many people that are looking for an excuse to not have limit their dietary choices, that they'll believe anything without researching.
And, in an even earlier day (I think it was as recent as the 1950s), doctors endorsed cigarettes as relaxing. Sadly, there still are people who believe what they see on TV - even if it is a paid advertisement.
I'm sure HFCs are like everything else - some people can probably consume them with no issues - just like some people can have artificial sweeteners all day long with no problem and the next person will get a splitting headache. What really ticks me off about the commercials is the portrayal of someone who doesn't want to ingest HFCs as sort of gullible and scatterbrained while the person dishing them out seems wise and well educated. Condescending and insulting.
I personally am not willing to risk undoing the progress I've made so far based on a television commercial - didn't change my opinion one iota.
Last edited by yoyonomoreinvegas; 09-11-2008 at 07:21 PM.
When I saw the first one, I was both outraged and dumbfounded at the same time. I agree that this is definitely a desperate ploy by that industry to try to stop more Americans from learning the truth and making informed decisions about what they are putting in their bodies.
What I don't get is that isn't there supposedly a corn shortage because of the ethanol production? So why do they have to worry about selling HFCS?
Personally I'll eat something with cane sugar in it before eating HFCS if I can help it. And you don't see the cane sugar industry running stupid ads like this!
It's crap like this that often makes me dislike living in this country! Everything is about corporate greed, with no consideration of corporate responsibility.
so, what do you think of the new pro-hfcs ad campaigns?
