Our country is poised to shrink government so the private sector can serve us better.  In reality our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness requires a balanced tussle between the two interests. An example is the counterpunching between the sweetener industry versus government agencies which are requiring nutritional labels on food packages and restaurant menus. Karen Larsen advises us to understand their importance. 

First, some facts. High fructose corn syrup and sugar are identical chemical compounds: about 50 percent glucose and 50 percent sucrose. The glucose from liquid HFCS surges into the liver faster than sugar, contributing to obesity and reducing mental performance. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services guidelines recommend daily consumption of less than 30 grams of sugar. The sweetener industry issues no independent guidelines.

            Label advocates want sugar grams identified so we stay within those guidelines. Opponents label government interference as liberal “nannyism” and useless.  They cite a Washington Post article about research that concludes people aren’t changing their behaviors in restaurants with menu labeling. However, commenters on the article say they read labels and note research doesn’t measure long-term behavior change.

            I’m a label reader and sugar addict. I’ve reduced my glucose intake through label reading, but recently ate breakfast with over 30 grams of sugar in a quarter cup of raisins,  oatmeal cookie and eight ounces of apple cider. I re-read the labels after dozing in my lazy-y-boy while reading my morning newspaper.

            Later I discovered a website opposing taxing diet coke to change behavior. At the top were three advertising links: HFCS facts, diet coke and crystal lite pure.

            HFCS fact number one debunked the myth that HFCS is unhealthier than sugar because both have 50 percent glucose and 50 percent sucrose. Ironically, the trade industry created that myth decades ago to sell HFCS as a substitute for sugar when sugar consumption declined. Now HFCS consumption is declining. Consequently the industry has re-labeled HFCS to ‘evaporated cane juice.” Labels do change unhealthy consumer behavior.

            Diet coke’s website opened to a silver coke bottle with melting frost trickling over two bright red letters visible from the word coke: OK. Through a link titled “The Heart Truth,” I learned Diet Coke donated $100 thousand for the Heart Truth campaign by HHS to raise awareness about heart disease in women. The Heart Truth logo has a red dress the same color as OK. I recognized the logo on diet coke cans and have assumed diet coke is heart healthy because of caffeine and no sugar.  But an  asterisk next to the logo leads to the back of the can with this message in very small print: The Heart Truth, its logo and The Red Dress are trademarks of HHS. Participation by Coca-Cola does not imply endorsement by HHS/NIH/NHLBI.

            Diet coke and the federal government have agreed their collaborative labeling meets my rights to life, liberty and the pursuit happiness. Life is never pure without compromises.

            Crystal Light Pure is kept pure with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Instead it contains three grams of sugar and evaporated cane juice to create flavor.  Private research shows flavors increase women’s water intake by 20 percent, important because federal research finds women frequently drink too little water. Consumers can confirm 3 grams of sugar is low compared to sugar in other drinks. 

            In sum, label readers guide their behavior through labels mandated by federal government through regulation with the sweetener industry’s private sector.

            The reality is life, liberty and pursuit of happiness depends on the balanced inter-squabbling between the private and public sectors.