Sign Up for News and Information on High Fructose Corn Syrup
Obesity & HFCS Myths
Arthur Frank, M.D., Medical Director of the George Washington University Weight Management Program talks about global obesity and HFCS.
HFCS Production
Are you interested in how high fructose corn syrup is made and how it compares to the sugar manufacturing process?
Watch Experts on HFCS
Are you interested in hearing more experts discuss the myths and facts about high fructose corn syrup and obesity?
Obesity & Diabetes
Myth: High fructose corn syrup is to blame for obesity
and causes diabetes.
Reality: There is no scientific evidence to suggest that high fructose corn syrup is uniquely responsible for people becoming obese. Obesity results from an imbalance of calories consumed and calories burned. U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows that per capita consumption of high fructose corn syrup is actually on the decline, yet obesity and diabetes rates continue to rise according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, obesity rates are rising around the world, including in Australia, Chile, and the Middle East, even though the use of high fructose corn syrup outside of the United States is limited. Around the world, high fructose corn syrup accounts for about 8% of caloric sweeteners consumed.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. 2010. Table 51 -- Refined cane and beet sugar: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. Table 52 -- High fructose corn syrup: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. Table 53 -- Other sweeteners: estimated number of per capita calories consumed daily, by calendar year. See column I, Per capita consumption (adjusted for loss) lb/yr http://www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/Sugar/data.htm, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Diabetes Surveillance System. 2010. Long-term Trends in Diabetes, October 2010 http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/slides/long_term_trends.pdf, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2010. Prevalence of overweight, obesity and extreme obesity among adults: United States, trends 1960-62 through 2005-2006. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/overweight/overweight_adult.htm
World Health Organization, Global Database on Body Mass Index, Country comparison – BMI adults % obese (>=30.0), Most recent. http://apps.who.int/bmi/index.jsp and LMC International, Inc. 2009. Table 2: World Sugar & HFCS Consumption. Sweetener Analysis December 2009.
