CORN PROCESSING AND OBESITY

Corn Processing and Obesity

Abstract

In this study we try to explore the affects of corn processing on obesity trends in America. The main focus of the research is on corn processing and its relation with obesity in American population. The research also analyzes many aspects of corn processing in a holistic context and tries to gauge its effect on obesity. Finally the research concludes with the consequences of using processed corn on general public.

Corn Processing and Obesity

Introduction

Adult obesity rates increased in 16 states in the past year and did not decline in any state, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2011, a report from Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Twelve states now have obesity rates above 30 percent. Four years ago, only one state was above 30 percent (Wynne & Ben 2011).

The obesity epidemic continues to be most dramatic in the South, which includes nine of the 10 states with the highest adult obesity rates. States in the Northeast and West tend to have lower rates. Mississippi maintained the highest adult obesity rate for the seventh year in a row, and Colorado has the lowest obesity rate and is the only state with a rate under 20 percent.

This year, for the first time, the report examined how the obesity epidemic has grown over the past two decades. Twenty years ago, no state had an obesity rate above 15 percent. Today, more than two out of three states, 38 totals, have obesity rates over 25 percent, and just one has a rate lower than 20 percent (Darby and Kate, 2011). Since 1995, when data was available for every state, obesity rates have doubled in seven states and increased by at least 90 percent in 10 others. Obesity rates have grown fastest in Oklahoma, Alabama, and Tennessee and slowest in Washington, D.C., Colorado, and Connecticut.

Discussion

The reported increased rate of weight gain in rats is only the conclusion from short-term studies. Researchers have also conducted a long-term study on the subjects. For six months, two groups of rats were tested with high fructose corn syrup while the other group uses regular sugar. The sweeteners were coupled with the regular diet for rats. After six months, the weight gain of those who used high fructose corn syrup is nearly 50% more compared to the group with basic sugar sweeteners. This is a very alarming rate of weight gain as it could easily lead to health complications.

What made this study even more alarming is the concentration used on rats. Regular sugar had the standard concentration that can be easily compared to sodas. Concentration on high fructose corn syrup, on the other hand, is only half of the known concentration on food. However, even with the subdued concentration, weight gain is still faster. According to the studies, the rapid increase of weight in the body because of high fructose corn syrup influences the increase of belly ...