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The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Lunch Science: A Personal Dietary Investigation
Prepared for Mountain View 4H
Trent SmithAssistant Professor
Washington State UniversitySchool of Economic Sciences
April 13, 2011
Smith Asymmetric Information 1 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Glycemic Effects
Though conventional wisdom has long held that dietary fatexacerbates chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease,attention is increasingly being focused on refined carbohydrates.
Refined carbohydrates are sugars and starches that have beenprocessed in a way that speeds digestion.
Chronic high blood sugar has deleterious effects on health.Side effects of uncontrolled diabetes (i.e., unchecked highblood sugar) can include polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision,fatigue, weight gain, and (maybe) heart disease and cancer.
One common measure of carbohydrate quality is the glycemicindex (GI), a standardized measure of blood sugar (glucose)response to individual foods.
Reference: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom
on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease by Gary Taubes, 2007
Smith Asymmetric Information 2 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Glycemic Effects
Though conventional wisdom has long held that dietary fatexacerbates chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease,attention is increasingly being focused on refined carbohydrates.
Refined carbohydrates are sugars and starches that have beenprocessed in a way that speeds digestion.
Chronic high blood sugar has deleterious effects on health.Side effects of uncontrolled diabetes (i.e., unchecked highblood sugar) can include polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision,fatigue, weight gain, and (maybe) heart disease and cancer.
One common measure of carbohydrate quality is the glycemicindex (GI), a standardized measure of blood sugar (glucose)response to individual foods.
Reference: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom
on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease by Gary Taubes, 2007
Smith Asymmetric Information 2 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Glycemic Effects
Though conventional wisdom has long held that dietary fatexacerbates chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease,attention is increasingly being focused on refined carbohydrates.
Refined carbohydrates are sugars and starches that have beenprocessed in a way that speeds digestion.
Chronic high blood sugar has deleterious effects on health.Side effects of uncontrolled diabetes (i.e., unchecked highblood sugar) can include polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision,fatigue, weight gain, and (maybe) heart disease and cancer.
One common measure of carbohydrate quality is the glycemicindex (GI), a standardized measure of blood sugar (glucose)response to individual foods.
Reference: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom
on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease by Gary Taubes, 2007
Smith Asymmetric Information 2 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Glycemic Effects
Though conventional wisdom has long held that dietary fatexacerbates chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease,attention is increasingly being focused on refined carbohydrates.
Refined carbohydrates are sugars and starches that have beenprocessed in a way that speeds digestion.
Chronic high blood sugar has deleterious effects on health.Side effects of uncontrolled diabetes (i.e., unchecked highblood sugar) can include polyuria, polydipsia, blurred vision,fatigue, weight gain, and (maybe) heart disease and cancer.
One common measure of carbohydrate quality is the glycemicindex (GI), a standardized measure of blood sugar (glucose)response to individual foods.
Reference: Good Calories, Bad Calories: Challenging the Conventional Wisdom
on Diet, Weight Control, and Disease by Gary Taubes, 2007
Smith Asymmetric Information 2 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Blood Sugar and Insulin
High-GI foods (e.g., white bread) caninduce sudden spikes in blood sugar.
Your pancreas responds by secretinginsulin into the bloodstream.
Insulin tells your body to absorb glucose(by burning it, storing it in liver andmuscles, and converting it to body fat).
GI is hard to measure: differs from personto person, is affected by cooking time,other foods included in meal, and evenchewing speed. Nevertheless, publishedvalues for some foods are available.
Smith Asymmetric Information 3 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Blood Sugar and Insulin
High-GI foods (e.g., white bread) caninduce sudden spikes in blood sugar.
Your pancreas responds by secretinginsulin into the bloodstream.
Insulin tells your body to absorb glucose(by burning it, storing it in liver andmuscles, and converting it to body fat).
GI is hard to measure: differs from personto person, is affected by cooking time,other foods included in meal, and evenchewing speed. Nevertheless, publishedvalues for some foods are available.
Smith Asymmetric Information 3 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Blood Sugar and Insulin
High-GI foods (e.g., white bread) caninduce sudden spikes in blood sugar.
Your pancreas responds by secretinginsulin into the bloodstream.
Insulin tells your body to absorb glucose(by burning it, storing it in liver andmuscles, and converting it to body fat).
GI is hard to measure: differs from personto person, is affected by cooking time,other foods included in meal, and evenchewing speed. Nevertheless, publishedvalues for some foods are available.
Smith Asymmetric Information 3 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Blood Sugar and Insulin
High-GI foods (e.g., white bread) caninduce sudden spikes in blood sugar.
Your pancreas responds by secretinginsulin into the bloodstream.
Insulin tells your body to absorb glucose(by burning it, storing it in liver andmuscles, and converting it to body fat).
GI is hard to measure: differs from personto person, is affected by cooking time,other foods included in meal, and evenchewing speed. Nevertheless, publishedvalues for some foods are available.
Smith Asymmetric Information 3 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Blood Sugar and Insulin
High-GI foods (e.g., white bread) caninduce sudden spikes in blood sugar.
Your pancreas responds by secretinginsulin into the bloodstream.
Insulin tells your body to absorb glucose(by burning it, storing it in liver andmuscles, and converting it to body fat).
GI is hard to measure: differs from personto person, is affected by cooking time,other foods included in meal, and evenchewing speed. Nevertheless, publishedvalues for some foods are available. Reference: Ludwig, D. S. JAMA
2002;287:2414-2423.
Smith Asymmetric Information 3 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information
Because high-GI foods are less costly to produce, and becauseinformation about glycemic effects. . .
. . . is (prohibitively?) costly to the consumer
. . . is asymmetric, in that it is more available to producers(who have full information about processing)
. . . is unobservable even after consumption
. . . is something consumers are likely to care about, giveneffects on health. . .
. . . glycemic effects constitute what economists call a credencequality, or credence good.blank line
References: Darby & Karni (1973); Smith, Chouinard & Wandschneider (2011)
Smith Asymmetric Information 4 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information
Because high-GI foods are less costly to produce, and becauseinformation about glycemic effects. . .
. . . is (prohibitively?) costly to the consumer
. . . is asymmetric, in that it is more available to producers(who have full information about processing)
. . . is unobservable even after consumption
. . . is something consumers are likely to care about, giveneffects on health. . .
. . . glycemic effects constitute what economists call a credencequality, or credence good.blank line
References: Darby & Karni (1973); Smith, Chouinard & Wandschneider (2011)
Smith Asymmetric Information 4 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information
Because high-GI foods are less costly to produce, and becauseinformation about glycemic effects. . .
. . . is (prohibitively?) costly to the consumer
. . . is asymmetric, in that it is more available to producers(who have full information about processing)
. . . is unobservable even after consumption
. . . is something consumers are likely to care about, giveneffects on health. . .
. . . glycemic effects constitute what economists call a credencequality, or credence good.blank line
References: Darby & Karni (1973); Smith, Chouinard & Wandschneider (2011)
Smith Asymmetric Information 4 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information
Because high-GI foods are less costly to produce, and becauseinformation about glycemic effects. . .
. . . is (prohibitively?) costly to the consumer
. . . is asymmetric, in that it is more available to producers(who have full information about processing)
. . . is unobservable even after consumption
. . . is something consumers are likely to care about, giveneffects on health. . .
. . . glycemic effects constitute what economists call a credencequality, or credence good.blank line
References: Darby & Karni (1973); Smith, Chouinard & Wandschneider (2011)
Smith Asymmetric Information 4 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information
Because high-GI foods are less costly to produce, and becauseinformation about glycemic effects. . .
. . . is (prohibitively?) costly to the consumer
. . . is asymmetric, in that it is more available to producers(who have full information about processing)
. . . is unobservable even after consumption
. . . is something consumers are likely to care about, giveneffects on health. . .
. . . glycemic effects constitute what economists call a credencequality, or credence good.blank line
References: Darby & Karni (1973); Smith, Chouinard & Wandschneider (2011)
Smith Asymmetric Information 4 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information
Because high-GI foods are less costly to produce, and becauseinformation about glycemic effects. . .
. . . is (prohibitively?) costly to the consumer
. . . is asymmetric, in that it is more available to producers(who have full information about processing)
. . . is unobservable even after consumption
. . . is something consumers are likely to care about, giveneffects on health. . .
. . . glycemic effects constitute what economists call a credencequality, or credence good.
blank line
References: Darby & Karni (1973); Smith, Chouinard & Wandschneider (2011)
Smith Asymmetric Information 4 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information, cont’d
Market Problem: In the absence of a market interventionthat makes it possible for producers to send credible signalsabout product quality (standards, certifications, etc.),credence qualities lead to a market breakdown (a.k.a.“Lemons Equilibrium”), in which low-quality goods (in thiscase, high-GI foods) dominate the market.
Personal Problem: So which foods should I eat? Avoidingall processed food is costly. . . so it would be nice to knowwhich products are better or worse. . . for me.
The Good News: The cost of measuring one’s blood sugar isfalling, making it possible to personally assess individual foods(economic note: thus transforming a credence quality into anexperience quality. . . for me).
Smith Asymmetric Information 5 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information, cont’d
Market Problem: In the absence of a market interventionthat makes it possible for producers to send credible signalsabout product quality (standards, certifications, etc.),credence qualities lead to a market breakdown (a.k.a.“Lemons Equilibrium”), in which low-quality goods (in thiscase, high-GI foods) dominate the market.
Personal Problem: So which foods should I eat? Avoidingall processed food is costly. . . so it would be nice to knowwhich products are better or worse. . . for me.
The Good News: The cost of measuring one’s blood sugar isfalling, making it possible to personally assess individual foods(economic note: thus transforming a credence quality into anexperience quality. . . for me).
Smith Asymmetric Information 5 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Economics of (Dietary) Information, cont’d
Market Problem: In the absence of a market interventionthat makes it possible for producers to send credible signalsabout product quality (standards, certifications, etc.),credence qualities lead to a market breakdown (a.k.a.“Lemons Equilibrium”), in which low-quality goods (in thiscase, high-GI foods) dominate the market.
Personal Problem: So which foods should I eat? Avoidingall processed food is costly. . . so it would be nice to knowwhich products are better or worse. . . for me.
The Good News: The cost of measuring one’s blood sugar isfalling, making it possible to personally assess individual foods(economic note: thus transforming a credence quality into anexperience quality. . . for me).
Smith Asymmetric Information 5 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
Measuring Blood Sugar
Home test kits are cheap and reliable (this one: $9 at Walmart)
Each measurement requires tiny drop of blood and asingle-use test strip ($0.43 each)
Need to be careful about things that influence blood sugar:exercise, time of day, time since last meal, etc.
Smith Asymmetric Information 6 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Question
What should I eat?
GI available for some foods, but not for meals,
not for ME.
Question, more precisely: what are the foods I eat (or onceate, as a teenager) doing to my blood sugar?
Note: Subject is non-diabetic, as confirmed by recent A1c test($9 single-use kit, Walmart) result of 5.3%.
Smith Asymmetric Information 7 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Experiment
Experimental protocol, in brief:
Measure blood sugar before lunch (t = 0).
Eat lunch (0 < t < 30 min.).
Re-sample blood every 30 minutes, for five hours.
Limit exercise during afternoon to short walks down the hall.
Take notes.
Smith Asymmetric Information 8 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
1 Fruit & Veggies: Stir-fried Bok Choy, Peanuts,
Pear, Carrots (≈ 750 cal)
2 Beans: 1 can, rinsed, w/Canola Oil (≈ 950 cal)
3 Buttered Bread: Thick-crust Ciabatta (4x)
w/plenty of Butter (≈ 1100 cal)
4 Mac & Cheese: 1 package, w/Olive Oil
(≈ 1450 cal)
5 Beer & Brats: 24oz. Moose Drool, 3 Brats
(≈ 1350 cal)
6 Vending Machine: Vanilla Creme Cookies,
Potato Chips (3x), Twix, Cherry Coke (1725 cal)
Smith Asymmetric Information 9 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)
blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?
Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Meals
7 McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder w/Cheese,
Large Fries, Med. (21 oz.) Shake (1855 cal)
8 Jack in the Box: Big Cheeseburger, Medium
Fries, 16 oz. Shake (1940 cal)
9 Burger (No Bun): Ground Beef (1/2 lb.),
Fried Eggs (3x), Cheese (≈ 1150 cal)
10 Bun (No Burger): 6 Hamburger Buns,
Ketchup/Mustard/Pickles (≈ 1100 cal)
11 Ice Cream: 1 pint, 24 oz. Shake (≈ 1900 cal)
12 Pizza Hut: Medium Pepperoni (Pan Pizza, 6
slices), 22 oz. Root Beer (1780 cal)
13 Subway (low-fat menu): Footlong Chicken
Teriyaki, Yogurt, Baked Lays, Juicebox (872 cal)
blank line
Which will cause biggest “spike” in blood sugar?Smith Asymmetric Information 10 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Smith Asymmetric Information 11 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 12 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
BeansFruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 13 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Buttered BreadBeansFruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 14 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Mac & CheeseButtered BreadBeansFruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 15 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Beer & BratsMac & CheeseButtered BreadBeansFruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 16 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Vending MachineBeer & BratsMac & CheeseButtered BreadBeansFruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 17 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
McDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 18 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Jack in the BoxMcDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 19 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Burger HNo BunLJack in the BoxMcDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 20 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Bun HNo BurgerLBurger HNo BunLJack in the BoxMcDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 21 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Ice CreamBun HNo BurgerLBurger HNo BunLJack in the BoxMcDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 22 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Pizza Hut
Jack in the BoxMcDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 23 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Subway HLow FatLPizza Hut
Jack in the BoxMcDonald's
Fruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 24 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
Subway HLow FatLPizza HutIce CreamBun HNo BurgerLBurger HNo BunLJack in the BoxMcDonald'sVending MachineBeer & BratsMac & CheeseButtered BreadBeansFruit & Veggies
Smith Asymmetric Information 25 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
The Results
0 1 2 3 4 5Hours
100
150
200
250
Blood Glucose, mg�dL
'Slow' Food
Fast Food
Smith Asymmetric Information 26 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
. . . A Grain of Salt
Caveats:
Small subject pool! (n=1)
Small number of meal replications! (n=1 in most cases)
Best course of action: collect your own data.(and if you do, consider sharing it: [email protected])
Nevertheless, some tentative observations:
At best, standard 2-hour GI misses a lot.
Fast food is hard to beat if you’re looking for a(blood) sugar high.
Be skeptical of health claims.
Would the market outcome be different if information aboutglycemic effects were more widely available?
Smith Asymmetric Information 27 / 27
The ScienceThe Question
The ExperimentThe Meals
The Results
. . . A Grain of Salt
Caveats:
Small subject pool! (n=1)
Small number of meal replications! (n=1 in most cases)
Best course of action: collect your own data.(and if you do, consider sharing it: [email protected])
Nevertheless, some tentative observations:
At best, standard 2-hour GI misses a lot.
Fast food is hard to beat if you’re looking for a(blood) sugar high.
Be skeptical of health claims.
Would the market outcome be different if information aboutglycemic effects were more widely available?
Smith Asymmetric Information 27 / 27
