# Lifestyles & Discussion > Personal Health & Well-Being >  20 Terrifying Facts Food Companies Don't Want You to Know

## DamianTV

#20


#19 thru #1

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## Root



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## amy31416

I just buy a container of good Greek plain yogurt once every couple of months and make my own. It's stupid easy.

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## angelatc

Loving the wry humor of self-righteous nanny Americans getting their "facts" from Cracked.com.   

Another thing I hate about today's world.  Everything is preachy.  The whole freaking world has turned into a great big nag box.

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## KrokHead

That's why I inhale yogurt.  YUM!

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## Zippyjuan

Figures are misleading. 

The yougurt will also have a lot more other nutrition than the Lucky Charms does.  

Sugar per serving of Lucky Charms: 14 grams.  http://caloriecount.about.com/calori...y-charms-i8050
Look at serving size though too.  Serving size is 35 grams which is about one and a half ounces. 

Yoplait original Strawberry yogurt does have 27 grams of sugar but serving size is six ounces- four times that of the cereal.  Per ounce, the cereal is much worse. Nobody eats one ounce of cereal at one setting- they always eat more. Six ounces of cereal will have 56 grams of sugar in it- same serving size as one Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt which has 35 grams.

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## Working Poor

I can't understand why so much sugar and artificial sweetener is put in stuff like yogurt.

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## oyarde

> Figures are misleading. 
> 
> The yougurt will also have a lot more other nutrition than the Lucky Charms does.  
> 
> Sugar per serving of Lucky Charms: 14 grams.  http://caloriecount.about.com/calori...y-charms-i8050
> Look at serving size though too.  Serving size is 35 grams which is about one and a half ounces. 
> 
> Yoplait original Strawberry yogurt does have 27 grams of sugar but serving size is six ounces- four times that of the cereal.  Per ounce, the cereal is much worse. Nobody eats one ounce of cereal at one setting- they always eat more. Six ounces of cereal will have 56 grams of sugar in it- same serving size as one Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt which has 35 grams.


What if I dump the Lucky Charms on my Butter Pecan ice Cream ?

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## oyarde

Disclaimer , I do not eat the marshmallowthingies ....

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## Origanalist

> Disclaimer , I do not eat the marshmallowthingies ....


That's important for good health.

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## Origanalist

I never made it past the yogurt, I was distracted by the Chrissy Teigen  article.

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## DamianTV

> I just buy a container of good Greek plain yogurt once every couple of months and make my own. It's stupid easy.


Does the Greek Yogurt you buy have any sugar added like the one in the Pic for #20 (first post)?

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## DamianTV

Cracked.com articles arent really intended to be factual, but more a less poke fun at a situation.

On a much more serious note, how about Aspartame and Gum?  I have NOT been able to find ANY gum what so ever in recent years that does not have Aspartame in it.  So does anyone know of any kind of Gum that does not have Apartame or some sort of chemical Insecticide (which is what Aspartame was originally designed to be, until it was discovered that it tasted "sweet") that we are all told are "perfectly safe"?  And who are these people telling us that the $#@! they put in the food is safe?  Wouldnt it be the very same people that stand to profit if we #1 believe what they tell us and #2 based on those beliefs, purchase their products?  Is there ANY Gum that is safe?

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## MelissaWV

Re: Yogurt

It IS misleading.  The main reason that brands like Yoplait have so much sugar per container is that most of them are flavored.  That "strawberry" in there is not just a regular strawberry plopped into the bottom.  Did you really think a "Boston Crème Pie" yogurt would have no/little sugar just because it was yogurt?  No.  Flavorings are where the bulk of the sugar is.

If you buy plain yogurt (particularly Greek, though watch the fat), and add your own mix-ins, and dare to read the labels, the sugar issue won't even come into play.  Unless you're mixing in Lucky Charms.

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## MelissaWV

Since I'm bored...

#19 is about Subway's health claims not including condiments.  Let's set aside the fact that there is redundant, abundant signage that says exactly that (it's even on the cups and napkins!).  Piles of luncheon meat are not generally healthy from a sodium/preservative standpoint.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the only reason anyone loses weight eating at Subway is that you are almost forced to eat vegetables in some quantity, which many people don't do.  It's a more balanced meal than the average American gets:  bread, cheese, meat, veggies.  But yeah.  Being SHOCKED! and TERRIFIED! by Subway not including condiments on their nutritional claims?  Really?

#18 Did you know that eating a salad with fried chicken on it, loads of dressing, and crispy noodles is not good for you?  Then you are apparently ahead of the game.  This one's about Applebee's gigantic Asian salad being unhealthy.  Who knew!

#17 "Cereal Manufacturers spend twice as much on advertising as they do on the ingredients that go into them."  Cereal is cheap and generally a rehash of an existing formula.  I'm not terrified.  

#16 eh I'll give them this one about sugar and cocaine and their effect on our brains.
#15 This one should be read by more people.  "Diet" items are not automatically more healthy.  Often they're unhealthy in different ways, and they give people an excuse to overindulge in other areas.  How many times have you seen someone order a mega-sized tub of nastiness only to say "and a Diet Coke"?

#14 This one perplexes me as I have no idea what a "healthy buffet" is.  It's never healthy, from the germs to the temperature concerns to the types of food that dominate the options.  If I'm wrong on this I'd love to know, but I will still probably stick to ordering off of menus.

#13 links the number of hours we watch television and the fact that watching television while eating makes us lose track of calories.  This would make more sense if the study they linked was about the number of hours we watch television while eating.

#12 We apparently should be terrified that a Bloomin' Onion has 2000-3000 calories.  I am terrified that someone is eating a Bloomin' Onion on their own.  It's an appetizer.  

#11 This is about sugar/fat in baby food, and is very similar to the issue with yogurt.  In an attempt to make everything pretty and to provide innovative new flavors, baby foods will cram just about anything into that little jar.  Label-reading helps here, or make your own, or find someone you trust that makes some locally (it exists).

#10 Old news about Taco Bell's beef not being entirely beef.  No kidding?  I'm sure all of the people ordering Taco Bell items with beef in them purely for the health benefits are cringing.

#9 Another oldie but goodie about kids Saturday morning cartoons containing a lot of ads for junk food.  Most of the cartoons they are showing now are utter brain rot, so it doesn't shock me they'd add tooth and stomach rot as well.  Solution?  Shut off the television, or better yet play them some old cartoons from the pre-PC era.

#8 What?!?!?  I thought that a tiny baker whipped up that creamy center individually for every batch of Twinkies, and now you are telling me it's mostly Crisco!?!?!?  (Actually a lot of stable frostings contain a whole lot of fat and sugar... that's why they are meant to be treats.  If you are only worried about the middle of the Twinkie, I have bad news for you...)

#7 So we're back at Applebee's again... and guess what?  A dish that consists basically of a flour tortilla, a bunch of cheese, and some chicken that likely never saw a real grill, plus guac and sour cream and salsa, has a bunch of calories!  Honestly if I've learned something from Cracked, here, it's that Big Macs are good for you, since everything is worse.

#6 Already posted in the thread.  I believe it.  

#5 Fails to define high-carb, high-sugar, and almost anything else it talks about.  Utterly worthless.

#4 Did you know Dunkin Donuts sells donuts?  I was terrified.

#3 Did you know people that make junk food do not want to cooperate to "fight obesity," presumably to sell more products?  

#2 You wouldn't eat 22 packs of sugar! (the amount in a 20 oz. soda)  ...  A lot of people I know wouldn't down a salad bowl's worth of water, either, but that's what they're eating.  They also would not eat the amount of cholesterol in shrimp or avocado if it were separated from its source.  While I get this one's point, it's just not really that logical.  It also kind of sounds like a dare.

#1 Another oldie about color and stimulation.  While accurate on the point of reds and yellows being dominant, the idea that blues appear on lower fat products is bonkers.  Crispy M&Ms?  Cool Ranch Doritos?  Oreos?  Chips Ahoy?

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## oyarde

#18 , Salad with fried chicken some dressing , maybe some onion rings , while this may or may not be good for everyone , it is most certainly good for me  I had the Mrs's SUV in for tires 8 days ago , withing walking distance was a Cantina .I went for the brisquet taco, that was good for me too

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## donnay

> Cracked.com articles arent really intended to be factual, but more a less poke fun at a situation.
> 
> On a much more serious note, how about Aspartame and Gum?  I have NOT been able to find ANY gum what so ever in recent years that does not have Aspartame in it.  So does anyone know of any kind of Gum that does not have Apartame or some sort of chemical Insecticide (which is what Aspartame was originally designed to be, until it was discovered that it tasted "sweet") that we are all told are "perfectly safe"?  And who are these people telling us that the $#@! they put in the food is safe?  Wouldnt it be the very same people that stand to profit if we #1 believe what they tell us and #2 based on those beliefs, purchase their products?  Is there ANY Gum that is safe?

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## amy31416

> Does the Greek Yogurt you buy have any sugar added like the one in the Pic for #20 (first post)?


Nope. It just has milk/cream. 5g carbohydrates/serving from the milk. When I make yogurt, I just use whole milk and some cream if I have it.

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## July

> I can't understand why so much sugar and artificial sweetener is put in stuff like yogurt.


Because they take all the fat out of it. And plain low fat/fat free yogurt tastes terrible...very sour and bitter....so lots of flavors/sugar is added back in to make up for it. Real yogurt tastes rich and creamy. The first time I had it, I could't believe how satisfying it was just by itself, without any fruit or honey or anything else extra. It's harder to find at the grocery stores though, they don't really make flavored versions and you can't find it in those single serving containers....I buy a generic no name store brand in a big tub, and just portion it out and add my own fruit if I want.

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## amy31416

> Because they take all the fat out of it. And plain low fat/fat free yogurt tastes terrible...very sour and bitter....so lots of flavors/sugar is added back in to make up for it. Real yogurt tastes rich and creamy. The first time I had it, I could't believe how satisfying it was just by itself, without any fruit or honey or anything else extra. It's harder to find at the grocery stores though, they don't really make flavored versions and you can't find it in those single serving containers....I buy a generic no name store brand in a big tub, and just portion it out and add my own fruit if I want.


Oh man--I had an experience like that as well. I went for a very expensive artisanal yogurt--full fat, no added sugar and it was amazing. One of the reasons I started making my own yogurt. I still haven't been able to get it as good as that particular yogurt, but it's a heck of a lot better than most of the stuff you can buy.

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## Working Poor

I am convinced that sugar and all artificial sweeteners are harmfull and are added to the food supply to insurethe medical i.industry has plenty of people to suck the life out of. There  could be no other reason. It is evil what the fda gets away with I don't care what Zippy says 8/

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## jtap

> Because they take all the fat out of it. And plain low fat/fat free yogurt tastes terrible...very sour and bitter....so lots of flavors/sugar is added back in to make up for it. Real yogurt tastes rich and creamy. The first time I had it, I could't believe how satisfying it was just by itself, without any fruit or honey or anything else extra. It's harder to find at the grocery stores though, they don't really make flavored versions and you can't find it in those single serving containers....I buy a generic no name store brand in a big tub, and just portion it out and add my own fruit if I want.



Good point. The low fat/no fat revolution ruined a lot of foods and upped the amount of sugar in all of them.

Coincidentally, I think sugar is cheaper for them also so they don't mind the extra profits and as mentioned the possible "addictive" tendency that sugar encourages.

Edit: I blame Ancel Keys (his Seven Countries Study and stupidity) for the "low fat revolution"

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## PaulConventionWV

This article is quite misleading.  There are real health concerns out there, but in order to know what they are, people need to stop obsessing over calories, sodium, and sugar.  Those are not the measures of healthy eating.  What a dumbed down society.  "Electrolytes!  It's the stuff that plants crave!"

Nobody pays attention to neurotoxins anymore, the stuff that's actually making you sick, fat, and tired all the time.  Only minimal attention is given to where you get your vitamins and minerals.  Everybody just wants to rant and rave about how much sugar, calories, or carbohydrates something has when they don't even know what the freak that means.

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## Zippyjuan

> I can't understand why so much sugar and artificial sweetener is put in stuff like yogurt.


You do get sugar from milk (anything ending with "ose" is a sugar- lactose is the sugar found in milk) and fruits also contain sugars but more sugar may be added because that is what people seem to want.  Natural plain yogurt is kind of sour in taste so it is to offset that.  "Light" yogurts are usually adding artificial sweetners.

http://www.eatright.org/Public/conte...?id=6442451847



> *Why Does Yogurt Have So Much Sugar?*
> 
> Yogurt can still be a healthy choice. The "sugars" on the Nutrition Facts panel include both naturally-occurring and added sugars. Lactose in milk and yogurt is actually a sugar, so these products will contain some naturally-occurring sugar. 
> 
> Plain yogurt has no added sugar, yet a 6-ounce container has about 12 grams of naturally-occurring sugar in the form of lactose.
> 
> Fruit-flavored yogurt varies in the amount of sugar added, so it's important that you read the Nutrition Facts panel. On average, the added fruit and sweeteners contribute about 14 grams of sugar, making the total sugars about 26 grams in a 6-ounce container.
> 
> Light yogurts typically use low-calorie sweeteners to cut back on sugar and calories. These yogurts  have about 12 to 14 grams of sugar per 6-ounce serving.


("low calorie" sweetners meaning artificial- I avoid artificial sweetners where I can)

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## Zippyjuan

> Does the Greek Yogurt you buy have any sugar added like the one in the Pic for #20 (first post)?


Greek yogurt is basically more concentrated yogurt- more water is squeezed out before packaging so there is more of everything else (it is not as watered down). Note that the flavor they chose in both examples are the ones with the highest sugar content- in the greek style example, honey.

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