Study reveals Americans sicker than their English peers, why?

Below is a link to an article on the subject.

If I am lucky enough to have someone from England see this, please answer a few questions for me. TIA

1. Do you have high fructose corn syrup added to your foods as a sweetener instead of sugar?

2. What is considered a normal work week hours wise? Ours here in the states are 40 and many work overtime hours on top of that. I think this also might be adding to our health problems. But I think the high fructose corn syrup is the biggest health problem.


Here in the U.S. high fructose corn syrup is added to just about everything instead of sugar. Our soft drinks, fruit juices and cereal and just about everything else that has a sweetener added has a high content of this stuff. Food companies have been using this since the 70's, (which surprise, surprise is when Ameicans started gaining too much weight), it is much cheaper than sugar & one can hardly tell the difference in taste but there is a catch and its a big one.

The body breaks this high fructose corn syrup down much differently than sugar. If we consume sugar, it is turned into energy and if our bodies doesn't use it, it is then turned into fat. High fructose corn syrup is metabolized through the liver and turned into triglycerides and instantly turned into fat, which is a much harder fuel source to use. That is of course is layman terms but pretty much from what I have read happens.

The information at wikipedia the link below says that high fructose corn syrup is being mostly used here in the states. Why doctors and researchers are slow to inform Americans about why they are getting fatter and developing more severe health problems I don't know. But something needs to be done to stop it. When I shop I constantly have to sift through foods such as fruit juices to find one that is not sweetened with this stuff.

From what I am reading even if one is normal weight and consuming these products with the high fructose corn syrup in them their body's are being clogged with these triglycerides and that is not helpful to ones health.

en.wikipedia.org...
Fructose vs. glucose
Fructose produces lower levels of the hormones leptin and insulin than glucose. Raising leptin and insulin levels trigger the feeling of "fullness" while eating. The level of the hormone ghrelin remains higher with consumption of fructose than it does with glucose. Ghrelin appears to control the feeling of "hunger". This double change in normal production of these hormones results in a slower decrease in appetite and a tendency to consume more than if glucose were to be used. Thus more is consumed to get the same "full" and "satiated" feeling and the total caloric intake is greater. Additionally, the level of blood triglycerides shows a rapid and prolonged elevation after consuming fructose as opposed to glucose. JCEM 2/24/2004

The delayed decrease of the hormone ghrelin has been shown in obese subjects but not in normal weight subjects. This means that chronic consumption of fructose may actually be preconditioning the metabolism of a normal weight individual to behave like an obese individual's metabolism. JCEM 11/2/2004

High triglyceride levels are believed to be linked to clogging of the arteries and may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. They may even be more important for determining the risk of heart disease than cholesterol.

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news.yahoo.com...

CHICAGO - White, middle-aged Americans — even those who are rich — are far less healthy than their peers in England, according to stunning new research that erases misconceptions and has experts scratching their heads.


Americans had higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, lung disease and cancer — findings that held true no matter what income or education level.

Those dismal results are despite the fact that U.S. health care spending is double what England spends on each of its citizens.