When is the industry going to do something?

[Energydude]

I find myself reading story after story about the fact Americans are becoming fatter and fatter each year. Our children and diabetes in young children is growing at an alarming rate.

The thing that cannot be argued is that as the use of HFCS has grown over the last 20 years so has the weight of America. Is it the sole contributor... no but it adds fuel to the fire for sure.

When will the beverage industry step up and say enough is enough. This garbage is polluting our children and something needs to be done. HFCS is nutritional garbage and it is still being passed off to millions. I simply don't understand it.

[boodoo]

You must be kidding E-Dude.

Don't you know that all we have to do is blindly follow the lead of the DNC and the ACL? They will protect us from HFCS, smoke, fat burgers, hot coffee, christian symbols, guns, Fox News and right-wing radio. And if they can't they will represent us while we sue for damages!

Cradle to grave baby, cradle to grave!

[Energydude]

What a shame.... everyone just ducks and hides!
Meanwhile, people are consuming this garbage and know one steps up and says " Enough " ! Everyone knows HFCS is nutritional garbage and a leading contributor to weight gain in America.

People wonder why they are fat.... have a cola and some wonder bread!

[BevNET]

HFCS may or may not be to blame, but your first point and the subject of this thread are definitely true....The industry is basically taking a bath while the media takes its shots at the industry. Right or wrong, Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and perhaps even Red Bull should be doing something to protect their business. Maybe this will pass, but the numbers right now are not good...

[Ron Swedelson]

Red Bull does not use HFCS, they use simple sugars.

Saying when is the industry going to do something is the same as the fat people sueing McD's for getting them fat, or the ciggarete smoker sueing Philip Morris for giving them cancer. What do you think is going to happen when you abuse things. People are aware of the sugar they ingest in their sodas. Do they think they will get healthier if they drink it every day of their lives, 4 servings a day? Gee, you got fat and have very high colesteral. I would have thought that grabbing a big mac and super-sizing everyday at lunch would have been healthy for you. Would it be nicer if every company used great, healthy alternatives. Yes, but you would not get the same drinks or foods. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. If people need their Cane Sugar, go drink Boylans, or SP, or any of the highend drinks you would find at Whole Foods or stores like that. If thats to complicated, just drink water, its better for you.

[Energydude]

Ron you made my point! The cigarette companies have been sued and have lost and are paying billions of dollars for what they have done. What many beverage companies have done is very simular to what the cigarette companies have done.

In fact more people suffer from obesity and its effects than suffer from smoking related diseases.

We are fat and over weight and adding nutritional garbage is appalling and wrong.

As an industry it is time to step up and do something we all know is right. For mere pennies we can make products better and healthier.

It is time for the industry to step up and do the right thing.

Quit using crap in our favorite products.

[toby1]

""Quit using crap in our favorite products.""

How about abstainence?

Quit drinking your favorite products with crap in it!

Does the gov wipe your butt for you eDUD?
Make your own choices and decisions, and let companys make what they want. and you drink what you want and let others drink what they want...its called freedom!

We DO live in the good ole US of A! and not the old USSR where they were told what to eat and drink!

This subject is old and has been addressed many times over....hence its dead.

[PopNutz]

I have to agree with edude on this one. I've talked with several Doctors over the years that have said since HFCS has been the staple that Diabetes has skyrocketed in numbers. HFCS is hard for your body to break down, unlike pure cane sugar or simple sugars that Ron mentioned.

You guy's are right too when you say just drink something else but the problem there is there's just not many alternatives available everywhere and I don't think your average Joe knows the dangers of HFCS.

One other point I wish the bev. companys would look at is shelf life. If companys switched back to sugar the shelf life would increase because pure cane sugar stays stable longer than HFCS which would in the long run save the companys money not having to pick up their out-of-dates as often.

[Energydude]

The use of HFCS in most of the Soda's sold in the USA is a sad state of affairs and a black eye on our business as a whole. The sad part is it cannot even be defended. Still, the big beverage companies continue to feed the public this garbage and are going to continue to do it until someone puts a stop to it.

I think it is time for 60 minutes to get involved.

[Hacksaw]

Well, then it behooves us to share the word about Premium Sodas. I've given my boss (Cola addict) a bottle of Boylan's Cane Cola, & he said it was good. When Coca Cola used to make Fanta Red Cream Soda (with REAL sugar!), I'd bring back cases of it & share it from time to time in Southern California, where they didn't have it.

Now, as far as "60 Minutes", there is the problem of sponsor pressure. The Corn products lobby is powerful, to say nothing of the soda giants. PBS tends to have less of a problem of this.