50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Paid Scientists to Point Blame at Fat (2016)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Industries distorting reality

  • Commenters list many sectors seen as manipulating science, media, or policy: sugar, tobacco, oil, plastics, chemicals/pesticides, pharmaceuticals, alcohol, media, big tech/ads, AI, social media, crypto, “green energy,” industrial agriculture, weapons/military, auto, bananas/United Fruit, and academia.
  • Some argue “every industry” distorts reality via PR; others push back that this erases degrees of harm and makes reform harder.
  • Cinema and news are seen as soft-power channels for militarism and other corporate agendas.

Recycling, packaging, and materials

  • Debate over moving away from plastic to steel, glass, paper:
    • Plastics: many types are economically unrecyclable; industry allegedly obscures this.
    • Glass: endlessly recyclable but heavy, energy-intensive to melt and transport; works best when reuse or recycling facilities are nearby.
    • Some insist glass recycling is widely effective in parts of Europe; others stress transport costs and practical constraints.
    • Bottles: proposal for standardized, highly recyclable plastic bottles via regulation vs. calls to return to glass, which is seen as chemically inert.
  • Paper can be recycled only a limited number of times before fibers are too short, but still substantially reduces tree use.
  • Several note that “reduced X” labels usually mean compensation with “more of everything else.”

Sugar, fat, calories, and diet

  • Many emphasize both added sugar and saturated fat can be harmful; some advocate viewing them as “occasional treats” rather than “bad” foods.
  • Strong disagreement on:
    • Whether saturated fat is clearly harmful vs. evidence being mixed/weak.
    • Whether carbohydrates and fiber are biologically “unnecessary” yet still protective against disease.
    • Validity of “calories in, calories out” vs. more complex roles of hormones, insulin, satiety, and food processing.
  • Some argue high-fat, low-carb/keto diets promote weight loss despite high calories; others say fat is energy-dense and easy to overeat.
  • Processed sugars and fats together are seen by one nutrition researcher as especially harmful; recommendation: starches, fruit, natural fats.

Capitalism, government, and corruption

  • Thread links sugar-industry interference to broader worries: money distorting science, public understanding, and democracy.
  • Dispute over whether capitalism inherently undermines democracy or can be tamed via regulation and hybrid models.
  • Some blame mainly corporations; others stress government officials’ responsibility not to be corrupted.
  • Concern that focusing anger on “government” alone indirectly empowers corporations by weakening regulation.