Danny ChaiI posted this already on Facebook: a Time article saying that sugar substitutes can make you fat; they might even be worse than sugar. Certain sarcastic friends of mine say I’m sometimes too trusting of articles I read, but this is a reputable publication, quoting a study in a journal that seems legit (Behavioral Neuroscience) and the article was written by a Korean. I’m trusting it.
I think I’ve said this before, but I don’t buy diet sodas at all; even before this article I have long believed that, at best, they don’t help you lose weight and, at worse, they make you gain weight. Have you ever met anyone who lost weight simply by switching to diet soda? It’s just wishful thinking.
I simply don’t believe there are easy magic bullets like that. For the record, I don’t much buy the antioxidant thing either. Even if you accept the concept of free radicals and the theory that anti-oxidants tame them, it’s still a stretch to believe that somehow, anti-oxidants you eat get to the right places intact. I think fruits and vegetables and green tea are good for you. But not because of antioxidants. And I certainly don’t think antioxidants in a pill do anything.
On a random note, I’m in favor of formal bans on restaurants using trans fats, like NYC did. When I first heard about it, I rolled my eyes; another example of over-regulation that I loathe, much like the anti-horsemeat and anti-foie gras legislation in CA that drives me nuts. Then I learned more about it. And this is an example of where markets simply fail, and why pure Libertarianism is bankrupt in practice (a forthcoming entry).
In an ideal world, there would be no regulations, and the free market would work by people choosing not to patronize restaurants that use trans fats in their cooking. The problem is, for the free market to work this way, you need information – people need to know what restaurants use trans fats. And the industry has fought any movement toward this tooth and nail.
I’m kind of glossing over the details. But I’m convinced of the overwhelmingly bad health effects of trans fats. It’s a completely artificial modern invention. It’s entirely possible to have the exact same taste without trans-fats (and many snack foods and restaurants already do this). Basically, restaurants switching comes down to laziness and very minor cost, which the public health cost vastly outweighs. Since the restaurant industry is unwilling to take steps that would their trans fats use more visible, I think banning its use outright is entirely reasonable.