Could Overweight people now sue the Sugar Industry

[Blobfish]

Just like some smokers got compensation from the Tobacco Industry , when it was announced that smoking
Tobacco causes health problems. Could the Sugar industry now be taken to the courts by people who have
Type 2 Diabetes or similar health problems caused by eating "Low Fat" labelled food which are full of sugar.

I am no legal eagle, but would be curious to know if action could be done against the sugar industry, after
reading this report, which shows the Sugar Industry went out of their way to Demonize Fat.
And then put excess amounts of sugar into Low Fat labelled products.

http://qz.com/779541/the-sugar-indus...d-towards-fat/

http://www.vox.com/2016/9/12/1286444...istort-science

Trust no one.

That’s the takeaway of a new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which claims the sugar industry in the 1960s launched a campaign in which it paid for nutrition research to downplay evidence linking America’s rising sugar consumption to heart disease. In doing so, the industry was able to deflect negative attention away from sugar on to fat and cholesterol, which by the 1980s were seen as the main contributors to cardiovascular disease.

It wasn’t until this year, in February, that the US government eased its position on cholesterol, illustrating just how powerful industry forces can be in shaping decades of federal policy and conventional wisdom about what we eat and whether it’s healthy.

[Celista]

In the US? They can try, sure. Will they be successful? Probably not, nutrition labels are pretty clear.

[Collegeguy]

Wasn't there a case like this for McDonald's once?

[Celista]

Wasn't there a case like this for McDonald's once?

The hot coffee one? Very different, you should look up photos of her burns. Not for the weak stomached.

[Eninya]

The hot coffee one? Very different, you should look up photos of her burns. Not for the weak stomached.

There's been cases of people trying to sue McDonald's for the food making their kids fat. Naturally, if that occurs, you're just a shitty parent, though.

[Chiquihuite]

In the US? They can try, sure. Will they be successful? Probably not, nutrition labels are pretty clear.

But is it a different story when they lie about it?

The entire industry banded together to launch a wide-spread PR campaign to-
A: Discredit any and all research calling into question the safety of high levels of sugar consumption
B: Lobby the FDA stay out of their way
C: Hire/bribe a top nutritional scientist to act as their spokesperson and viciously attack anyone who dared challenge them

Sounds an awful lot like what happened with tobacco to me. We've been getting bad dietary advice for more than a generation precisely because of the sugar industry's antics.

[ezgeze]

The hot coffee one? Very different, you should look up photos of her burns. Not for the weak stomached.

Ah the infamous McDonalds coffee burn case.
Most people don't know the reason behind the insane amount of money was because the coffee was so ridiculously hot that it fused the labia closed. The jury found that only superman would be able to drink coffee that hot and that McD should have known that the world isn't populated by metahumans.

[Tennis]

Waste of time. Why don't they put some effort into reducing their fat content.

[Underverse]

Waste of time. Why don't they put some effort into reducing their fat content.

LOL come on tennisace, I know you don't like fat people but the fat content of foods isn't what makes people fat.

[dextersmith]

Just like some smokers got compensation from the Tobacco Industry , when it was announced that smoking
Tobacco causes health problems. Could the Sugar industry now be taken to the courts by people who have
Type 2 Diabetes or similar health problems caused by eating "Low Fat" labelled food which are full of sugar.

They'd have to go after all other industries like bacon, butter, McDonald's, and generally the marketing sector too. Sue gyms for not forcing you to stop being gross.

- - - Updated - - -

Punish Nestle by gorging on other brands of chocolate.

- - - Updated - - -

LOL come on tennisace, I know you don't like fat people but the fat content of foods isn't what makes people fat.

Is it the sloth, gluttony, and stupidity?

[Mad_Murdock]

LOL come on tennisace, I know you don't like fat people but the fat content of foods isn't what makes people fat.

So we're now going to blame sugar for everything? People get fat because they take in more calories then they burn. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories. 1 gram of Protien or carb is 4 calories. You can't sit on your ass and eat big macs all day and avoid sugar and expect to not get fat. Trimming out fatty foods is one of the easiest ways to lose weight.

I'm in the sugar is evil camp as well, but the blame is mostly on the people. We've been getting good eating advice for over 30 years. No one can claim they didn't know eating heavy amounts Big Macs, Cheetos and Cokes are bad for you.

In reference to the smokers, if I recall right, it was proven that they were adding "extras" to the Cigarettes to make them more addicting. Cigs didn't have the ingredient labels food has

[May90]

Misuse of product is not a valid ground for suing a company. If you eat too much sugar, you are misusing products containing sugar in them. The company cannot control how customers use its products, but it can control labeling it properly - and most companies have mastered that.

[vilememory]

But is it a different story when they lie about it?

The entire industry banded together to launch a wide-spread PR campaign to-
A: Discredit any and all research calling into question the safety of high levels of sugar consumption
B: Lobby the FDA stay out of their way
C: Hire/bribe a top nutritional scientist to act as their spokesperson and viciously attack anyone who dared challenge them

Sounds an awful lot like what happened with tobacco to me. We've been getting bad dietary advice for more than a generation precisely because of the sugar industry's antics.

Pretty much this, there is way too much money at risk to dare try to go against the sugar industry. I mean the tobacoo industry could only go after adults. Sugar can go after everyone, it goes in everything. Food, medicine, drinks, you name it it probably has sugar in it.

[Vash The Stampede]

Misuse of product is not a valid ground for suing a company. If you eat too much sugar, you are misusing products containing sugar in them. The company cannot control how customers use its products, but it can control labeling it properly - and most companies have mastered that.

For things like Pepsi and Ice Cream, that makes sense. But companies are getting smarter, and they're putting sugar into products that really shouldn't have it. They do it cause sugar is addicting. In the foods where they have "added sugar" they should be sued.

[May90]

For things like Pepsi and Ice Cream, that makes sense. But companies are getting smarter, and they're putting sugar into products that really shouldn't have it. They do it cause sugar is addicting. In the foods where they have "added sugar" they should be sued.

Well, as long as those products have proper labeling mentioning sugar, I don't see the problem. Unless the mention is deliberately made unclear/confusing... But I don't think any respectable company today will do this, because they will lose more to the fine than they will gain by tricking people this way.

[Underverse]

So we're now going to blame sugar for everything? People get fat because they take in more calories then they burn. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories. 1 gram of Protien or carb is 4 calories. You can't sit on your ass and eat big macs all day and avoid sugar and expect to not get fat. Trimming out fatty foods is one of the easiest ways to lose weight.

I'm in the sugar is evil camp as well, but the blame is mostly on the people. We've been getting good eating advice for over 30 years. No one can claim they didn't know eating heavy amounts Big Macs, Cheetos and Cokes are bad for you.

In reference to the smokers, if I recall right, it was proven that they were adding "extras" to the Cigarettes to make them more addicting. Cigs didn't have the ingredient labels food has

Let's not forget that big macs have more carbohydrates than fat. Blaming the fat for obesity is shortsighted at best, and destructively misleading at worst - as we've come to see. Carbohydrates also have more addictive qualities than fats - they don't fill you up quite as fast, and there's some evidence that excessive carbohydrates can modulate flora, particularly yeast, to produce neurotransmitters and other compounds that reward sugar/carbohydrate-feasting.

I don't think sugar's the only thing to blame, but I do think it plays a major role and certainly a larger role than fat consumption. That being said, not all fats are equal. Trans fats are unilaterally bad for you. Oxidized polyunsaturated fats probably promote inflammation and atherosclerosis, the former of which is involved in obesity pathogenesis. Saturated fats, however, are neutral, despite their reputation.

Finally, I don't think it's true that we've been getting 'good eating advice' for 30 years considering that our food pyramid, until recently, looked like this:



In what world is 11 servings of crackers, bread, cereal, or pasta a day a healthy option? This is pure misinformation.

[Vash The Stampede]

Well, as long as those products have proper labeling mentioning sugar, I don't see the problem. Unless the mention is deliberately made unclear/confusing... But I don't think any respectable company today will do this, because they will lose more to the fine than they will gain by tricking people this way.

I don't believe companies will labor sugar added, cause almost nobody uses sugar. Fructose corn syrup would likely be used in it's place. Anyway, whatever they do will be added to carbohydrates section of the nutrition label. There are sections that show you what's fiber and what's carbs, but how many carbs should you consume? Nobody knows that.

[Kapadons]

People aren't getting fat because of sugar. They are getting fat because of too much sugar. Among other things.

Sugar, in moderation, is perfectly fine for your body to digest. In fact, it is essential for fuel.

[Fasc]

I don't believe companies will labor sugar added, cause almost nobody uses sugar. Fructose corn syrup would likely be used in it's place. Anyway, whatever they do will be added to carbohydrates section of the nutrition label. There are sections that show you what's fiber and what's carbs, but how many carbs should you consume? Nobody knows that.

How many carbs should you consume...? If you don't know, consult a dietitian. It isn't some cosmic divination, you start with caloric needs and then subdivide into the various fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, all while ensuring a balance of various nutrients. Caloric intake is typically NOT an American problem, hence obesity, and you're not going to get anywhere targeting sugars specifically, especially when you NEED them (just not in excess). American diet problems are overconsumption of calories but underconsumption of necessary vitamins and other nutrients... hence very overweight fatties with thinning hair, bad skin, etc, all hallmarks of poor nutrition and even starvation conditions in some cases.

Companies MUST label food additives and caloric content has to be tallied accurately. It is WAY too easy to check the caloric content of food with simple chemistry 101 testing for them to get away with it, and plenty of watch dog organizations do exactly that.

Dietary health isn't a nebulous thing... people just typically balk at what actually constitutes a healthy diet because one or more "axioms" have stuck with them that aren't actually even true.

[Guyv3r]

Just like that story about a lady who put her cat in the microwave. Later she sued the microwave company because they didnt warn her of the outcome.

How stupid can you be? /facepalm 'Murica

Stop eating shit like crazy and go exercise. Plus, read about what you eat (no.. not the labels on the "low fat" food you buy).