"fine in moderation" hahahah, nice of them to slip that in there.

The ads are pretty dumb, but the fact that they exist means that profits from high fructose corn syrup are dropping due to a bad reputation. I doubt these ads will help them because they are kind of insulting to their target audience (people who avoid high fructose corn syrup only because of it's reputation, not because they know anything about it.)

Is HFCS really that bad?

I saw this and thought it was a joke.. like those V8 jokes where a guy has lettuce on his hamburger thinking its his veggies for a day and gets a whack to the forehead for it..
It seems like a desperate sales pitch to sell more corn, and they will probably tell you anything to do that.

Yes, it is bad. I'm pretty sure it was already mentioned on this site that the process which it takes is why it's not natural and it's a processed ingredient for processed food. And also it's not something people NEED in their diet in any way. And did anyone else take note that these commercials come out after King Corn? Kind of like how super sizing disappeared after Super Size Me. I should mention that even though I've been thinking about getting away from eating things that include it, I was lazier about it before. But now that these starting airing, I'm more likely to avoid it, even though luckily I think I barely eat anything that actually has it. If find these commercials aggravating and I hate how they have the person who says it's bad just standing there like a moron while the other gives BS "information" about it.

Imors, I thought it was a joke too. Reminded me of those SNL fake commercials! But, to answer Fit's question, no I wasn't surprised at all!

Now that people mention it, I didn't think it was a joke but I couldn't believe this was a real commercial and that they actually think I'm going to buy into it.

deceiving, hopefully most people are smart enough not to believe this

I heard about these before I saw any, so I knew it was real, but it was still shocking. I can't believe these are airing!! Well, I guess I can, but I can't believe that they thought they could get away with it. How on earth is HFCS HEALTHIER than sugar?!?! And what idiot takes nutrition advice from their hairdresser? I'll concede that it's probably not the devil's sweetener that I make it out to be, but people should never be encouraged to eat or drink it. It's in so much of our food that people are probably eating way more than they think they are if they aren't being diligent about reading ingredients.

I was exasperated when I first saw this ad. Still am.

this is just ridiculous and as Red Sharpie mentioned insulting as those who avoid HFCS are people who likely have done their research on it and won't be swayed by such oversimplification and lack of facts based evidence

They must think we're all really stupid.

oh, sorry, I totally misread that print ad. I'm still outraged by the whole thing, but that ad is not nearly as bad as I thought. I thought it said "my hairdresser said HFCS is healthier than sugar"--hopefully they won't ever go that far.

"Fine in Moderation" is the key phrase here. We aren't getting it in moderation, if you look at ingredient lists it's in EVERYTHING! Even 100% whole wheat bread! One of the only breads I could find without it was that Health Nut kind because it's sweetened with molasses. When I started avoiding HFCS like the plague it forced me to eat healthier.

My jaw too dropped. Could not believe what I was seeing. Not only do they make it out like it's good for you, but a Popsicle is the example. Just another hook for the kids in my book.

I remember when my roomie and I saw it for the first time this weekend and she said "Are you serious?" And I replied "As serious as a heart attack." Unfortunately people are susceptible to that kind of advertising so hopefully some info will come out to combat these lines.

I actually laughed out loud (I would even categorize it as a "guffaw") when I saw the commercial for the first time. They are really getting desperate!

telewyo - Pepperidge Farm 100% Natural Breads do not have any HFCS - http://www.pepperidgefarm.com/ProductDetail.aspx?catID=749.

Oh - P.S. - not only is HFCS bad for you personally, it's also bad for the planet. Good article in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR200803...

Oh - P.S. - not only is HFCS bad for you personally, it's also bad for the planet. Good article in the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR200803...

this doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Am I the only one who thought the popsicle sucking thing was slightly suggestive? Would've been worse if it was him offering it/pushing it on her, I guess.

I hate how they make the people who avoid HFCS look like self-righteous health zealots - "honey, I thought you love me"! Give me a break. When turning down an offering of sweet foods or drinks, most people just say "no thanks" or "I don't eat/drink that" and don't launch into a nutrition lecture.

The mom in the second ad is pouring her kids a glass of that fake juice crap that has 0-5% real fruit juice in it, tops. The rest is HFCS. I would be more concerned that she's not giving her kids real juice. HFCS isn't any healthier or less healthy than sugar; it's just a different form of sweetener. When I first saw these ads, I was sorta pissed off...they made it seem like people who avoid HFCS only avoid it because they've "heard it's bad", not because they actually care about their health.

haha ever since I saw one of these, I've been waiting for you to do a "Fittingly Mad" post about it.

Wow I'm so relieved to see this post! My fiance and I saw the Popsicle commercial last week and like most ppl my jaw dropped, I was totally confused, angry, everything! I don't want to repeat what other's said but I agree with it all that this is a horrible scam. Reminds me to the parodies like Thank you for Smoking.

What was particularly disturbing to me was that I first saw the ads (three of them) during a show aimed at kids/tweens.

After reading "In Defense of Food" I don't think I'll ever let myself consume that stuff again. It's horrible AND bad for the environment. With all the HFCS produced, farmers are giving more and more of their land over to corn production (and soy) which saps the nutrients from the soil.

I found the ads insulting to my intelligence, too. How ignorant does someone have to be to be unaware of the recent spike of Type II diabetes?

ARGH!

When I first saw this commercial, the first word that came to my mind was desperate. They're really grasping at straws here!

I've read about all the dangers of high-fructose corn syrup, a lot of them focusing on how fructose is processed by the liver, etc. The one thing that I'm generally a little confused about (and forgive me if this is ignorant) -- but a lot of the research focuses on how fructose in general is worse than sucrose. It demonizes HFCS both for being unnatural and for containing a higher proportion of fructose than other sugars. But in general we're taught that fructose in fruit, vegetables, etc. is a lot healthier than sucrose. Anyone know where the disconnect comes from? Are we really better off with sugar than fruit juice? Although obviously fruit has a lot of other benefits (vitamins, fiber, etc) I'm just curious about the fructose aspect of it.

all i can say is grrrrrr...they must think I'm an idiot! I already try my hardest to not buy stuff with HFCS in it, but now i'm going to try even harder to avoid it after these commercials.

I did a when I first saw these. Why don't they promote trans fat while they're at it.

the first time i saw one, i definitely had a "wtf!?" moment.

I was mortified to see these ads. But hey, the sugar, beet, corn lobby is a powerful force. Any organization with enough money can promote "truths" for the masses.

My jaw dropped when I saw this too. They CAN'T be serious! These ads make me really angry and worry me that people might not learn the true facts about the dangers of processed "foods" like HFCS.

I haven't seen the ads yet, but they sound really disturbing. I think that they're going to undo a lot of progress that has been made. This is a powerful, powerful lobby - how else could any reasonable organization even begin to claim that HFCS is natural? The only thing natural about HFCS is that its molecules started out in a kernel of corn.

We gave up foods containing HFCS last summer. I've got a blog chronicling our experience giving it up and eating healthier with HFCS-free product reviews and recipes. http://alifelesssweet.blogspot.com/

High fructose corn syrup may have a complicated-sounding name, but it's actually a simple sweetener, made from corn, that is nutritionally the same as sugar.

High fructose corn syrup is not sweeter than sugar, it’s not higher in calories and it’s not metabolized differently than sugar.

The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that “high fructose corn syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners.”

Consumers can see the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at www.HFCSfacts.com and www.SweetSurprise.com.

Audrae Erickson
Corn Refiners Association

HAHAHAHA I love that the Corn Refiners Association is so freaked that not only are there ads, but they're posting comments on blogs.

It's about time that the dangers of this product are so widespread that the lobby goes on the defensive.

I think the main problem with HFCS is not the HFCS itself, but the fact that most foods that contain HFCS are highly processed foods that contain lots of OTHER bad ingredients. I mean, would you rather eat a popsicle made of HFCS, water, and artificial colors and flavors or a frozen juice pop made of say, pure orange juice that you put in the freezer? My main complaint about these ads is that they basically promote processed foods instead of whole fruits, veggies, and whole grains. But I suppose farmland is somewhat limited and the corn growers want more of it for them instead of the fruit/veggie farmers that are out there.

And the point is that if more people put their money directly in the pockets of local farmers with diverse crops, maybe the mega-farms would see that there's economic incentive.

Doubtful, but I refuse to give them my cash, directly or indirectly.

BTW, the Mayo Clinic says HFCS is bad in and of itself. Frankly, I trust a respected medical institution over the people producing/selling/profiting from the product.

Uhm is this there way of trying to get back the consumers they have lost because people are choosing to live a healthier lifestyle and avoid many beverages and foods whose first ingredient is HFCS. When the first item is HFCS that is already telling you that the amount present is not in moderation. Soda is a really big candidate for that and I was gaining a lot or my weight in the empty calories provided by so much carbonated sweetness.

So, the body recognizes table sugar and breaks it down into glucose and fructose, uses some for energy and stores some too. How is HFCS broken down? Has anyone started lit searches on this? Any feelings on Stevia? I am writing to the corn refiners association with my findings. Anyone else in : 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 950; Washington, DC 20006-5805 ?

I didn't realize people were avoiding HFCS more than they were avoiding sugar. I kind of put processed sugar and HFCS in the same category - high calorie sweeteners that you should only consume in moderation. I also thought that some juices and whatnot that were being advertised as "low-sugar" or "sugar free" contained HFCS, thus making them a little deceiving.

I think processed foods in general should be eaten in moderation. I try to avoid anything that comes in a box, or frozen as a whole meal (I eat frozen veggies and Kashi pizzas). But then, I like to cook a lot, so it's not a big deal for me to use fresh veggies and meats most of the time.

HFCS IS worse than regular sugar. Unlike natural sugar, HFCS does not trigger a release of insulin and leptin from the pancreas when it is ingested. These chemicals are the ones that regulate your appetite. Also, it is processed directly by your liver, which releases extra fat storage molecules.

Basically, HFCS is a double-whammy. It doesn't signal to your body that you've eaten anything, so you're not full, and it is stored immediately as fat.