# Is the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup responsible for the rise in obesity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [September 10, 2004, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-increased-use-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup-responsible-for-the-rise-in-obesity/263902 "2004-09-10T11:49:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![crywalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crywalt/32/3224_2.png) [@crywalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crywalt)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-increased-use-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup-responsible-for-the-rise-in-obesity/263902/21 "2004-09-16T20:53:43Z")
> [@jloats](#): > > Well, it _shouldn’t_. That extra step of cleaving the sucrose into glucose + fructose occurs in the small intestine, before the sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream – in fact, it’s necessary for that absorption to happen… > > And yeah, corn syrup in the unprocessed form is almost entirely _glucose_ – the processing turns some of the glucose into fructose, which increases the sweetness. “High-fructose” is a relative term. I’m afraid you must leave the conversation now, as it’s clear you know what you’re talking about, and that’s simply not allowed. This is the Internet, dammit! Only ignorant people may apply! ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-increased-use-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup-responsible-for-the-rise-in-obesity/263902/22 "2004-09-16T22:23:33Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > One of the major points Cecil make is that HFCS and traditional sugar are so similar that no meaning difference can be made healthwise. I’m not so sure about this. Granted, I’m not an expert by any means on how sugar is processed by the body, but consider the following: First. assume that fructose is converted into fat and glucose is readily used for energy. Second, consider the effect of going from 50% fructose (from sucrose) to 55% fructose (HFCS). If 400 calories in a daily diet are from sugar, then 20 additional calories per day (or 5%) will be converted to fat. That is 7,300 calories per year. If 3,600 calories equate to 1 pound of fat, then that’s 2 lbs of excess weight put on per year. It doesn’t sound like much, but over 10 years that’s 20 lbs, just due to increasing the fructose percentage from 50% to 55%. That’s a rough calcualtion and maybe the assumptions are not right, but I’d say it’s a meaningful difference. ---
**Author:** ![crywalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crywalt/32/3224_2.png) [@crywalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crywalt)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2004, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-increased-use-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup-responsible-for-the-rise-in-obesity/263902/23 "2004-09-17T04:55:24Z")
> [@Dag Otto](#): > > If 400 calories in a daily diet are from sugar, then 20 additional calories per day (or 5%) will be converted to fat. That is 7,300 calories per year. If 3,600 calories equate to 1 pound of fat, then that’s 2 lbs of excess weight put on per year. It doesn’t sound like much, but over 10 years that’s 20 lbs, just due to increasing the fructose percentage from 50% to 55%. Considering I, personally, put on 120 pounds in the last 15 years, I can’t see that 30 pounds one way or the other would make much of a difference. On someone smaller and less obviously enormous, maybe it would. On the other hand, if I ever lose 30 pounds, I am going to jump for joy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-increased-use-of-high-fructose-corn-syrup-responsible-for-the-rise-in-obesity/263902.md?page=1)