Why We Should All Be Outraged at the Sugar Industry

You know when you read a news story and it just gets your blood boiling?
Well, rarely do I read articles about health and nutrition that get me ragey, but this one did it. And if you haven’t read yet on how the sugar industry basically bribed its way into making it erroneously look like fat — not sugar — was the main culprit for the increase of incidence of coronary heart disease, check out Kristen’s recent post that breaks down the facts here. And then prepare to get upset, too.

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There are a few different reasons why this news really, really pisses me off. Here they are … all terrible. All rage-worthy.

1. It shows corruption in research.

You know what’s cool? SCIENCE.

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Science that you can trust. Science that you can believe in. Researchers that are telling the truth and not just out to make a buck. Or 50,000 of them.

2. It’s likely hurt and even killed people.

You guys are familiar with the tobacco industry and cancer, right? And how terrible that was? Well, this is basically that, just for sugar.

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Meaning that recommendations and guidelines for foods everywhere — from “healthy” packaging claims to what patients get served in the hospital to what your doctor tells you to eat — have been developed from research and studies such as this. And that info is just plain wrong. You were told to avoid fat, when really, sugar was more to blame for heart disease.

3. It’s discredited solid research and people who want to truly help.

Not only did it result in dietary recommendations that didn’t really have health as the true goal, but along the way it delegitimized good people who had it right and kept saying that excess sugar was linked to unhealthy outcomes.

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Heck, we’ve been saying healthy fats aren’t the problem for years!

4. It shows how powerful outside organizations can be.

The fact that this has been going on since the 60s and just now got publicly called out is distributing, no?

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5. It creates a crapton of work to right the wrong.

You know how long it can take to reverse cultural norms and trends. I mean, SO many people associate fat with heart disease and gaining weight. And it’s taken decades for those “facts” to become common knowledge. So, how long will it take to correct this? Will the people who really, really need to know it see it? Are medical professionals up on it? Will policies change? Will the everyday person have any idea? How long will it take to set the record straight?

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Did you guys hear this news and get as fired up as me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts, ragey or otherwise. —Jenn