1. Olestra: Is it really that bad? By Sarah Gaynor

2. Yes.

3. What is Olestra? Normal fats are three fatty acids bonded to a glycerol molecule. Olestra uses a sucrose (sugar) molecule joined at esters to six to eight fatty acids, instead. It tastes and feels like a fat, but our bodies don’t even know where to begin to digest it.

4. Background P&G wanted a fat-reducing drug in 1975 Couldn’t show efficiency, so used as a food additive Brand name: Olean Approved in 1996 – Only by the US Lay’s WOW in 1998 Label removed in 2003 – WOW discontinued, Lay’s Light begun Other companies dropped olestra line of chips

5. Products Lay's Light Original Lay's Light KC Masterpiece BBQ Doritos Light Nacho Cheese Ruffles Light Original Ruffles Light Cheddar & Sour Cream Tostitos Light Restaurant Style Fat-Free Pringles Fat-Free Bar-B-Q Pringles Fat-Free Sour Cream and Onion Pringles

6. Concerns: Vitamins Warning label: “This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added.” Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat- soluble Olestra carries them away Chips fortified with vitamins

7. Concerns: Carotenoids Organic pigments Found in fruits, vegetables like carrots, palm oil May lower risk of blindness, heart disease, cancer Like the vitamins, fat- soluble

8. Concerns: “Abdominal cramping and loose stools” Biggest problem Eight-week studies (17 test subjects): –8 g (16 chips) a day increased diarrhea by a factor of 5 –32 g (about 3 oz of chips) gave half the subjects diarrhea –8 g: gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, loose stools, nausea, and gas increased by 65% –20 g was enough to double incidents –Intermittent symptoms lasted 40 days Testimonials –http://www.zug.com/pranks/olestra/http://www.zug.com/pranks/olestra/

9. Procter and Gamble’s stance Reduce consumption of fats Eat as much as you want “Olean is a replacement for fat, not for common sense.” Gastrointestinal effects are similar to that of a high-fiber diet “The added vitamins have no impact on the body’s vitamin levels regardless of how much or how often Olean snacks are eaten.” –Olean website

10. Complaints More than 20,000 complaints More complaints after label removal, name change, removal of Olean label, too Some consumers went to hospital Frito-Lay being sued by Massachusetts woman Backed by nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)

11. Is P&G trustworthy? Actonel, a drug for osteoperosis (Britain) Dr Aubrey Blumsohn at Sheffield University Ghost writer, no access to data Finally gained access— results framed poorly and innaccurately No action from university; suspended for talking to media

12. Conclusion Believe what you want to believe, but I won’t be eating Lay’s Light anytime soon…

13. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestrahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestra - olestra info http://www.cspinet.org/olestra/OLES-M.AVI - anti-olestra commercial http://www.cspinet.org/olestra/ - anti-olestra site http://health.howstuffworks.com/question526.htm - how olestra works http://health.howstuffworks.com/fat.htm - how fat works http://www.olean.com/ - main site http://www.cspinet.org/olestra/OLES-M.AVI http://www.cspinet.org/olestra/ http://health.howstuffworks.com/question526.htm http://health.howstuffworks.com/fat.htm http://www.olean.com/ http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1657302,00.htmlhttp://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,1657302,00.html – legal bit http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2026307http://www.thes.co.uk/search/story.aspx?story_id=2026307 – recent news on legal bit http://scientific-misconduct.blogspot.com/search?q=proctor+%26+gamblehttp://scientific-misconduct.blogspot.com/search?q=proctor+%26+gamble – legal bit central http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/Olestra_stereo_animation.gifhttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d9/Olestra_stereo_animation.gif - molecule gif http://www.zug.com/pranks/olestra/http://www.zug.com/pranks/olestra/ --eeew.... http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/182862349.htmlhttp://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/182862349.html -- also very gross http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00524.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00524.html - being approved http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01245.htmlhttp://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01245.html - changing the label http://cspinet.org/new/200601041.htmlhttp://cspinet.org/new/200601041.html - Getting sued http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat - fat info http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/06/23/olean products.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/06/23/fin_canadian_ban_add s_to.html&h=373&w=600&sz=85&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=FtEqjJTzuA8ToM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=1 35&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dolestra%2Bproduct%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Denhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/06/23/olean products.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2000/06/23/fin_canadian_ban_add s_to.html&h=373&w=600&sz=85&hl=en&start=6&tbnid=FtEqjJTzuA8ToM:&tbnh=84&tbnw=1 35&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dolestra%2Bproduct%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den – News article on falling sales in 2000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotenoid - carotenoids http://www.becomehealthynow.com/article/fats/156/http://www.becomehealthynow.com/article/fats/156/ - problems with olestra