High-fructose corn syrup linked to obesity

Researchers at Princeton have shown that if you keep the number of calories the same, rats eating high-fructose corn syrup “gained significantly more weight” than rats who ate table sugar.

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.

But not so fast sugar lovers:

The new research complements previous work led by Hoebel and Avena demonstrating that sucrose [i.e. “regular sugar”] can be addictive, having effects on the brain similar to some drugs of abuse.

So you’re screwed either way.

• food
• obesity
• science