HFCS high fructose corn syrup is responsible for a dangerous epidemic of obesity and diabetes, only in the USA.
But, if data originating in that country can be applied to other nations in the habit of consuming fast foods in their diets — then, the epidemic is almost universal and its dangers are real.
People under the age of 40 are "children of the corn." Like Stephen King's thriller, they are reaping the consequences of the food cartel’s high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
They were children in the late 70s, 80s and 90s when high fructose corn syrup was introduced to the American food supply as a cheap replacement for sugar. Now many of them are struggling with an epidemic of obesity and diabetes, also being referred to as diabesity.
A new survey shows the number of people who said "I would like to lose 20 pounds" jumped from 54 percent in 1985 to 61 percent in 2005 — and growing steadily. There is a 76% increase in Type II diabetes in adults 30-40 yrs old since 1990. The percentage of overweight children in the United States has tripled since 1980. The epidemic of type 2 diabetes cases across the nation is likely to lead to a substantially higher incidence of strokes among middle-aged adults and newly diagnosed diabetics. (See: Food Politics by M. Nestle).
There is a rising cry of outrage that HFCS high fructose corn syrup is responsible for this epidemic of obesity and diabetes. It is getting difficult to find a food product at the grocery store or McDonalds that is not loaded with HFCS. One 20-ounce bottle of Coke, Pepsi, Mt Dew, Sprite or Dr. Pepper is the equivalent of pouring 17 teaspoons of sugar straight into your body. HFCS is the leading ingredient after carbonated water in these beverages. Women who drink at least one regular soda a day are 85 percent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drink less. It also leads to tooth decay. (See: Sugar Blues by W. Dufty and Sugar Busters by H. L. Stewart).
High Fructose Corn Syrup is found in fruit drinks like Capri Sun, Sunny Delight, Snapple, Hawaiian Punch, and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice. It is also found in chocolate drinks like Yoohoo, Arizona Tea, SoBe Beverages, cookies, ice cream, Campbell soup, Heinz Ketchup, Ragu, Aunt Jemima Syrup, Hershey's Syrup, Breyers Yogurt, Kraft Barbecue Sauce and almost all breakfast cereals. People who use HFCS as a sweetener increase their triglycerides 32 percent relative to people who use mostly sugar, according to University of Minnesota professor John Bantle. The body metabolizes high fructose corn syrup differently than sugar. It blunts the body's ability to recognize when it is full and increases a person's appetite. The other hypothalamic effect is that it becomes accumulated fat, because blunts the insulin response.
That’s serious enough to discontinue its being added to almost the entire foodstuff the United States produces and packages for domestic consumption and exports. High Fructose Corn Syrup puts people at risk for metabolic syndrome. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that occur together, increasing the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Having just one of these conditions — increased blood pressure, elevated insulin levels, excess body fat around the waist or abnormal cholesterol levels — contributes to the risk of serious disease. In combination, that risk is even greater." (See my contribution in Spanish by this name). There is a rise in uric acid in the bloodstream that occurs after fructose is consumed. The temporary spike of HFCS blocks the action of insulin, which typically regulates how body cells use and store sugar and other food nutrients for energy. If uric acid levels are frequently elevated, over time features of metabolic syndrome may develop, including high blood pressure, obesity and elevated blood cholesterol levels.
Research by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that high fructose diets shorten the life span of laboratory mice from the normal two years to a mere five weeks. 
Overweight Hispanic-American children who consume lots of sugary foods and drinks show signs of pancreatic beta cell decline – a forerunner of type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the University of Southern California came to that conclusion after studying 63 overweight Hispanic children, ages 9 to 13, all without diabetes. The team tracked the children's eating habits and also took blood samples before and after giving them sweets.
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