Vegetarian StarSNL Mocks High Fructose Corn Syrup. Princeton Scientists Say No Laughing Matter (Video)

SNL Mocks High Fructose Corn Syrup. Princeton Scientists Say No Laughing Matter (Video)

Written by Vegetarian Star on March 15th, 2011 in Film & TV, Food & Drink, Nutrition-Health-Fitness, Research + Science, Videos.

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Remember those commercials produced by the Corn Refiners Association that touted the benefits of High Fructose Corn Syrup? Saturday Night Live has done its version of those commercials, mocking how the ads made those who were concerned about its effects look snobby and uninformed.

When mom 1 asks mom 2 if she’s really going to feed her child the HFCS drink, mom 2 replies the drink is simply, “made from corn, it’s natural enough and like sugar it’s fine in moderation.” She then remarks it’s not an easy decision between believing mom 1 and the “scientists,” since mom 1 is the stay at home mother who “drinks wine at 10 a.m.”

Mom 1 backs off and tries gentler conversation, complimenting mom 2 on her sweater. That’s when mom 2 confesses it used to be her daughter’s, but the daughter grew out of it. As the camera points to the daughter–drinking yet another glass of HFCS juice–it’s easy to tell the only “growing” the child has accomplished is the fat cells in her mid section and jaws.

The two original commercials for HFCS can be viewed below.

Consumers today may be able to reply with better facts when asked why they shun HFCS. Princeton University researchers recently found that even when overall caloric intake was kept the same, rats with access to High Fructose Corn Syrup gained more weight than those with access to table sugar. In addition to significant weight gain, the HFCS rats gained more fat in their abdomen area and experienced a rise in triglycerides, or fats in the blood.

“Some people have claimed that high-fructose corn syrup is no different than other sweeteners when it comes to weight gain and obesity, but our results make it clear that this just isn’t true, at least under the conditions of our tests,” said psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. “When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.”

Maybe if she (the woman below) loved him, she would offer him a piece of fruit instead of the popsicle? “Scientists” might agree.