The sweet scent of baked goods floating through the air in a local bakery may smell delicious, and the garlic aroma wafting through a kitchen before a highly anticipated Italian meal may seem enticing, but food that appears to be delicious and healthy may actually have detrimental effects to your body. Within the last 20 years, an obesity epidemic has spread across the United States. Lack of exercise and a sedentary lifestyle are two contributing factors to the obesity epidemic, but one of the main causes is the mass consumption of processed foods that contain high-fructose corn syrup. Within the population of the United States, 66 percent of adults are obese or overweight, said Monica O`Reilly, the owner of Fit For Life Fitness Center in Gainesville. That is why O`Reilly feels that high-fructose corn syrup is a contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. The Japanese invented high-fructose corn syrup in 1971, O`Reilly said. It was added to foods in order to extend shelf life time and because it is six times sweeter than sugar. Although this may make high-fructose corn syrup seem beneficial, it also has many detrimental affects that could outweigh its
benefits. Unlike sugar from sugarcane, when fructose (what composes high-fructose corn syrup) is metabolized it is either used immediately as ATP, which is energy for the body, or is stored as fat, said Louis Lichten, a doctoral candidate in the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Florida. "If you already have enough ATP, the only thing left to make is fat," Lichten said. Fructose in small quantities is not harmful to the human body. Large amounts must be consumed to see the metabolic affects. "Unfortunately, we are consuming a lot," Lichten said. The mass consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has lead to an increase in obesity in the United States, which has created a domino affect for the increase in obesity related diseases. Diabetes increased by 47 percent between 1960 and 1996, Lichten said. The mass consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has also increased the risk factors for coronary heart disease. Most processed foods supplied in grocery stores in the United States contain high-fructose corn syrup, but there are alternatives. There are various organic grocery stores throughout the United States that offer all natural food options. Mother Earth Market is a local example of one of these organic grocery stores. "I shop at Mother Earth because it`s a way of being more healthy," said Abigail Yeh, a patron of Mother Earth Market. Although it can be difficult to eat healthier, it is possible, O`Reilly said. "Ultimately we`re responsible for our own health." | 
