High Fructose Corn Syrup
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- Date Submitted: 10/27/2010 05:53 PM
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High Fructose Corn Syrup and Weight Gain
Among College Freshmen
NFS 4480
Introduction
It is widely known that obesity is consistently on the rise and a legitimate problem in the United States. Weight began to become an issue in the 1970s, which is precisely when the use of sugar substitutes rose over 1000% (Basciano, 2005). It is no secret that convenience foods have taken over the market at grocery stores. However, most of these convenience foods contain the little-known sweetener known as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This cheap sweetener’s use has jumped over 4,000% in the last several years (Callahan, 2006). On the average, Americans consume 200 calories a day from HFCS alone (Environmental Nutrition, 2007). Convenience food is cheap and easy, which is a must in the life of college freshmen. The purpose of this study is to investigate college freshman knowledge about their diet and its impact on weight.
Literature Review
This review of literature examines two strands of research: (a) high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and (b) college freshman diet and activity patterns.
High Fructose Corn Syrup. High fructose corn syrup has recently become a highly tested and researched product. According to Wikipedia, high fructose corn syrup refers to a group of corn syrups that have undergone enzymatic processing in order to increase their fructose content and are then mixed with pure corn syrup (High fructose corn syrup, 2007). It is used as a sugar substitute to sweeten products such as soda, cereal, condiments, syrups, snack foods, baked goods, dairy products, jams, and jellies. High fructose corn syrup provides sweetness, enhances flavor, promotes freshness, and acts as a preservative in foods (Uses & Benefits, 2007). Due to these characteristics, high fructose corn syrup is used in many of the foods that Americans eat every day. Finding sweetened food that does not contain HFCS is a challenge (Environmental Nutrition, 2007). Kummer (2006) sums it...
Among College Freshmen
NFS 4480
Introduction
It is widely known that obesity is consistently on the rise and a legitimate problem in the United States. Weight began to become an issue in the 1970s, which is precisely when the use of sugar substitutes rose over 1000% (Basciano, 2005). It is no secret that convenience foods have taken over the market at grocery stores. However, most of these convenience foods contain the little-known sweetener known as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This cheap sweetener’s use has jumped over 4,000% in the last several years (Callahan, 2006). On the average, Americans consume 200 calories a day from HFCS alone (Environmental Nutrition, 2007). Convenience food is cheap and easy, which is a must in the life of college freshmen. The purpose of this study is to investigate college freshman knowledge about their diet and its impact on weight.
Literature Review
This review of literature examines two strands of research: (a) high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and (b) college freshman diet and activity patterns.
High Fructose Corn Syrup. High fructose corn syrup has recently become a highly tested and researched product. According to Wikipedia, high fructose corn syrup refers to a group of corn syrups that have undergone enzymatic processing in order to increase their fructose content and are then mixed with pure corn syrup (High fructose corn syrup, 2007). It is used as a sugar substitute to sweeten products such as soda, cereal, condiments, syrups, snack foods, baked goods, dairy products, jams, and jellies. High fructose corn syrup provides sweetness, enhances flavor, promotes freshness, and acts as a preservative in foods (Uses & Benefits, 2007). Due to these characteristics, high fructose corn syrup is used in many of the foods that Americans eat every day. Finding sweetened food that does not contain HFCS is a challenge (Environmental Nutrition, 2007). Kummer (2006) sums it...