Added sugar in our diets might be doing more to us than just making us fat, according to a new study assessing the deleterious effects of sugar in our diets:

“People are becoming literate about the toxic effects of sugar,” [Dean] Schillinger [a member of the SugarScience team that did the newest sugar study] said, “and have more understanding of the idea that high doses are bad for one’s health.” He sees evidence that those in a higher socioeconomic bracket are taking steps to limit intake of sugar when compared with poorer, less literate people.

Healthy food is expensive and less readily accessible in poorer neighborhoods, and because corn is so abundant and cheap, it is added to many food products. “Dumping high fructose corn syrup into cheap foods, sodas, sports drinks and energy drinks is toxic to the body, causing epidemic metabolic diseases and a serious health crisis,” Schillinger said.

For years, doctors held to the dubious notion that “a calorie was a calorie,” no matter where it came from. Now, researchers and doctors are realizing that the source of a calorie is actually very important. Foods with added sugars aren’t just more likely to contribute to your love handles. They might also account for a growing epidemic of diabetes, cancer, immune disorders, and other maladies.

And the socioeconomic data concerning added sugar is also quite troubling. The civil government subsidizes corn, for instance, which contributes to corn’s pervasive use in food additives. And it means that “real” food is considerably more expensive than processed food. So poor people, already finding it difficult to lead healthy lives, are even more likely to have little access to the kind of food that produces good health.

It’s hard to say what could be done to fix this. Should the civil government become even more involved in regulating sugar? Do we need a nanny state that makes sure we don’t drink too much cola? Or, should the civil government create healthcare programs like Obamacare to deal with the diet-related health problems their own subsidies have created? No. I think, in actuality, the intrusion of the civil government has created much of this problem. And the solutions the civil government proposes are often worse than the original problems.

The crony capitalism that has elevated Monsanto to its current position, and the protections of Big Ag and Big Pharma, have contributed to the currently health-destroying realities of our diets. Consumers need to have the option to buy good, real food without the imbalances created by government subsidies and protections. I am convinced that a healthy market, a healthy currency, and healthy civil liberties would result in a more healthy people.