Study partly blames widely used sweetener for rise in obesity

<br>(Raleigh, North Carolina-AP) -- A new study finds more evidence of a link between obesity and a corn product used to sweeten soft drinks and some foods. <br><br>Researchers say records show an increase

Thursday, March 25th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Raleigh, North Carolina-AP) -- A new study finds more evidence of a link between obesity and a corn product used to sweeten soft drinks and some foods.

Researchers say records show an increase in the use of high-fructose corn sweeteners in the late 1970s and '80s coincided with what they call an ``epidemic of obesity.''

But the researchers caution the figures don't provide a definite link. They examined consumption records from the Agriculture Department and combined them with previous research and their own analyses.

A dietitian for the Grocery Manufacturers of America says it's not about the high fructose corn sweeteners. She says it's about "how many calories we're eating and how many calories we're burning."

The study appears in the April issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.