Processed Foods Is the Primary Source of Sugar

Processed Foods Is the Primary Source of Sugar

Doctors and health officials alike are still trying to convince you that you can have your cake and eat it too, as long as it's "in moderation." The problem with that is that if you eat a diet consisting primarily of processed foods, moderation goes out the window because virtually all processed food items contain some form of added sugar. Oftentimes, just ONE food item can contain an entire day's worth of sugar. When you add all the processed foods you eat in a day together, the total amount of sugar can be quite staggering. One recent study has linked the proliferation of restaurants and warehouse clubs like Costco and/or super-centers like Walmart to the rapid rise in obesity—all of which sell primarily processed foods.

As reported by The Atlantic:13

"In 1990, no state had an obesity prevalence of 15 percent or more. By 2010, no state was less than 20 percent obese... Charles Courtemanche, an assistant professor of economics at Georgia State University, analyzed a number of... theories [explaining rising obesity rates] for a recent study,14 Courtemanche realized that a lot of past studies came to conclusions like, 'the increasing popularity of driving to work is correlated with the rise of obesity.' But he wasn't sure what, specifically, was having the greatest effect on obesity's rise. He gathered 27 things he thought might be contributing to obesity... and put them in what he calls a 'statistical horserace'...  

Only two of the factors ended up being meaningful drivers of obesity: 1) the proliferation of restaurants and 2) the rise of warehouse clubs, like Costco, and super-centers, like those Walmarts that have grocery stores in them... [B]oth restaurants and super-centers saw a remarkable growth since 1990, and together they explain about half the rise in class II and class III obesity—the worst varieties. Interestingly, regular supermarkets actually had a slight negative effect on obesity rates, so it's not just that food has become more accessible. Instead, Courtemanche said, it's that it's become much, much cheaper."

Although not specified, the food he's talking about is processed food. Sweetened beverages may be among the worst culprits, and in most places a can of soda is far less expensive than a bottle of water. When bought in bulk, it's usually even less expensive. So sure, places like Costco may be adding to the problem by providing health-harming foods at even lower prices, but the fact remains that it is the processed food that is the real problem, not just the fact that food is made available at inexpensive prices... If fresh produce was the least expensive food around, more people would probably buy more of it, but they wouldn't gain a ton of weight as a result.

Nutrients.myyevo.com