Wizard,
I hear you but I have to write this and then you can decide. The thing about sugar is it's in so much more than the things you just mentioned. It's in bread, it's in just about every processed food you can buy out there, it's in soda, and it's in juice to name a few. We put it on our cereal in the morning. This is from my notes from a class I took while in the Army.
Sugar is bad a high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is even worse for us. These things actually feed cancer cells, thus making them reproduce more rapidly which makes them harder for our white blood cells to find them and kill them. It causes liver damage by overloading it. It is actually like the effects of alcohol on the liver. It actually tricks your body into eating more, and thus causes you to gain weight, which can lead to so many other things. Eating sugar can lead to decreased HDL and increased LDL, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure, each of which lead to a host of other ailments. Lastly, it increases uric acid levels, which are a risk factor for heart and kidney disease.
Are sugary drink interventions changing people's behavior? An evaluation of efforts designed to reduce how many sugary drinks we consume shows some success in changing younger people's habits but warns they cannot be the only way to cut consumption. Source 7k.
Big Sugar Flexes its Muscles. Big Sugar Takes on the World Health OrganizationThe World Health Organization (WHO) recommends we reduce our consumption of salt, trans fats, saturated fats, and added sugars. Why? Because consumption of such foods […] Source 4q.
Dulled taste may prompt more calories on path to obesity. Food scientists have found that people with a diminished ability to taste food choose sweeter -- and likely higher-calorie -- fare. This could put people on the path to gaining weight. Source 8j.
It takes a long time to get your taste to where you enjoy natural compared to sugar soaked foods. The commercial food industry has trained consumers to love sugar without them knowing it. An orange from a tree just isn't as sweet as a juice pack so which one do people naturally go for?
Muscled,
I think that's open to interpretation. I love the real thing, whatever fruit we're talking about and will take it over a juice pack. But that's me and I'm into healthy food. The thing is, my kids are the same way. So, I think this has to do with one's likes and dislikes too.