I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the individuals and/or group of individuals behind the “We Hate Sugar” movement that seems to be sweeping across the nation.

Over the last week alone, I have seen in-depth news reports on TV, heard experts interviewed on the radio, read numerous online stories and have even been counseled by a couple of consumers.

Apparently sugar is bad for you… like toxic bad.  My youngest is a food scientist and he may well dispute much of what I am about to share, but it appears that sugar is the new devil.  It’s making us fat and giving us diabetes and destroying our hearts and raising our blood pressure and even causing cancer.

Or maybe this is just like all those other stories about alcohol and tobacco and caffeine and pharmaceuticals and guns.  Maybe these things aren’t the problem, maybe we are. Certainly we can blame the products.  Or we can blame our parents and society.  My personal preference is to blame corporate America for making all this processed (aka junk) food and forcing us to consume it through all their clever marketing.

Conspiracy theorists love to point to the tobacco industry and how they used science and marketing to get us addicted to smoking.  They now claim the food and beverage industry is doing the same thing.

I have no clue about most of this; I assume there is some truth and some untruth in every story.  But here’s what I do know:  A little self-control can go a long way, and that’s something we could all benefit from.  Eat a little less processed food and a little more fresh food.  Drink a little less canned soda and a little more water.  Smoke a few less cigarettes and take a walk in the park.

A little common sense can make a big difference, and it doesn’t require parental or spousal or government intervention.

Sweet.