Corn & Obesity

Americans depend on corn at dinnertime, for feeding livestock and producing ethanol fuel, among other uses. But is consumption of the crop making us fatter? Time magazine online reports that the corn byproduct high-fructose corn syrup is cheaper, sweeter and easier to transport and add to foods than regular sugar. As a result, it's used to sweeten virtually everything from peanut butter to spaghetti sauce and fruit juice. Time notes that inexpensive corn is fed to livestock, making the meat fattier and consumers fatter than if they ate grass-fed beef. However, corn refiners refute these claims, noting countries that don't use high-fructose corn syrup, including Mexico and Russia, still have incidences of obesity.

Corn Consumption

American consumers' demand for grains in 2000 was 45 percent higher than in the 1970s, and in 2000 the use of corn sweeteners grew eightfold from the 1950s, reports the the United States Department of Agriculture. Corn Products International, Inc., which calls itself the world's leading ingredient solutions provider, says corn sweeteners are used in breads, cereals, gluten-free baked goods, mixes and more. Americans are consuming corn sweeteners every day, as they increasingly purchase a variety of breads, bakery items, snack foods and fast food buns, doughs and tortillas. Furthermore, the USDA says Americans are eating more than the recommended amount of grains, totaling around 11 servings per day. This is the recommended intake for teenage boys and men who engage in heavy physical activity.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

Researchers at Princeton University say there is a link between the consumption of high fructose corn syrup and obesity. The results of two of their experiments were published in the February 2010 edition of the journal “Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior.” During their trials, researchers found that high-fructose corn syrup, more than regular table sugar, led to increases in body fat in the abdomens of lab animals. Every rat that drank high-fructose corn syrup doses below those found in colas became obese, says Princeton psychology professor Bart Hoebel, who specializes in the neuroscience of appetite, weight and sugar addiction. Even rats that ate a high-fat diet didn't all gain extra weight, he adds. Rats given high-fructose corn syrup half as concentrated as most sodas gained far more weight than those given cola-levels of sugar-sweetened water, Princeton University reports.

Metabolic Syndrome

During their second experiment, Princeton University researchers monitored for six months the effects of high-fructose corn syrup consumption obesity in lab animals. They charted their weight gain, body fat and triglyceride levels. Princeton University reports these rats, particularly the males, showed signs of metabolic syndrome, which includes abnormal weight gain, increases in triglycerides and visceral fat around the belly. What's more, rats fed high-fructose corn syrup gained 48 percent more than those eating rat food. Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly says the rats weren't just getting fat, they were becoming obese.

Insulin and Obesity

High-carbohydrate grains and sweeteners that include, but are not limited to, corn and corn byproducts, affect blood sugar, notes the Mayo Clinic. During digestion, these foods are turned into glucose, which triggers insulin production. Insulin helps glucose enter cells where it is used for energy. When blood sugar levels are off kilter, your blood sugar level spikes. If over time your blood sugar and insulin levels stay high or spike rapidly, you might develop insulin resistance. This leads to obesity, type 2 diabetes and other complications.