Over the last 50 years, sugar has become a staple in the American diet and can be found virtually anywhere. In fact, it is often hiding where you would least expect it. Sugar is no longer found only in sweet treats, but in many of the basic meals we eat on a daily basis. In saying this, it isn’t surprising that many adults and children are consuming more sugar than our bodies can process. Growing up in a very health conscious family, the notion that sugar is addictive and unhealthy has always been stressed in my household. While some kids would flaunt their candy bar at lunch, I was left eating an apple. At a young age, I was resentful of the lack of sugar in our cabinets. However, as I’ve grown older I have realized that my parents did me …show more content…
Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States, with refined sugar contributing to its early onset. In BBC’s documentary “The Truth About Sugar”, Fiona Phillips explores how sugar affects our weight. Essentially, the sugar that is added into our foods and used in our homes has been stripped of it’s fiber and roughage, leaving only pure calories and energy. Children consume this immense amount of energy when they eat sugar. When energy isn’t burned off, it can lead to weight gain very quickly. Simply put, your liver turns this excess sugar into fatty acids which your body stores as excess fat (BBC “Truth About Sugar). The World Health Organization recommends that only 5 percent of daily caloric intake come from sugar. However, the typical American diet is comprised of 13 percent calories from sugar. In saying this, it is not shocking that 1 in 3 children are either overweight or obese. That adds up to approximately 12.7 million, or 17 percent, of children (American Heart …show more content…
According to research published in the journal BMC Public Health, “sugar is the only cause of tooth decay in children” (Sifferlin). In fact, tooth decay is the most common non-infectious disease in the United States. Even more shocking is that 90 percent of school-age children have experienced tooth decay. If you think that tooth decay is inevitable, think again. Aubrey Sheiham, professor of Dental Public Health at University College London, said “Only 2 percent of people at all ages living in Nigeria had tooth decay when their diet contained almost no sugar, around 2 grams per day” (Sifferlin). This is in stark contrast to America’s looming 90
Imagine this, it is the 1800’s and you’re shopping for sugar. You see the sweet, pure white sugar and look down. Wham! The price makes your stomach drop. You need a cup of sugar, and the price is five dollars per teaspoon. That’s two-hundred and forty dollars, and you only have two dollars with you! In the articles, How Candy Conquered America by Lauren Tarshis and This Cupcake is Trying to Hurt You by Kristin Lewis and Lauren Tarshis it talks about how the consumption of sugar changes over time from the 1800’s to today. Two ways sugar consumption in the United States differed in the 1800’s than today is how much sugar we eat and how it affects our bodies.
Lustig, Robert, Laura Schmidt, and Claire Brindis. “The Toxic Truth About Sugar.” The Norton Sampler: Short Essays for Composition. Ed. Thomas Cooley. 8th ed. New York: Norton, 2013. 284-289. Print.
However, the outcome was different from his desired result due to strong protest from the dairy and livestock industry, so the Congress instead urged people to buy lean meat and less fat food so the dairy and livestock industry do not go out of business. This created the fat-free boom in the market in the 1980s. However, food companies began to put more sugar in their products because the taste was bad when they reduced fat in the food. Now, the sugar intake of Americans has doubled compared with before. In the American market, there are approximately 600,000 different food products, and 80% of those include sugar. Although sugar is written in various forms and names, one suggests that it’s bad in any form, especially if taken too much. Sugar consumed naturally through fiber-rich fruit or vegetable should be fine, but the added sweeteners stimulate the hormones that increase insulin. High insulin prevents people from thinking they are full, and thus crave more food. This causes many diseases. Of course one meal high in sugar will not kill them, but the problem is that people generally exceed daily sugar intake in one meal alone when consuming process food. We eat more processed and convenient food instead of fruits, vegetables, and
In the documentary “Fed Up,” sugar is responsible for Americas rising obesity rate, which is happening even with the great stress that is set on exercise and portion control for those who are overweight. Fed Up is a film directed by Stephanie Soechtig, with Executive Producers Katie Couric and Laurie David. The filmmaker’s intent is mainly to inform people of the dangers of too much sugar, but it also talks about the fat’s in our diets and the food corporation shadiness. The filmmaker wants to educate the country on the effects of a poor diet and to open eyes to the obesity catastrophe in the United States. The main debate used is that sugar is the direct matter of obesity. Overall, I don’t believe the filmmaker’s debate was successful.
Sugar is considered a toxic poison. Sugar leaches the calcium out of the skeletal frame of a human’s body. Sugar literally sucks the calcium straight from our bones; therefore it is known to many as a “skeletal poisonous powder.” There are thousands of individuals struggling throughout the United States with sugar addiction. Sugar is a leading cause of a number of health-related issues. Sugar causes health issues such as, fibromyalgia, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis. Like me, many individuals have no clue that they are addicted to sugar. Up until this single subject design, I thought my eating habits were quite normal. I honestly did not realize how much sugar I was taking in everyday. This single subject design has truly encouraged me to live a healthier lifestyle. The purpose of this study is to indirectly determine my sugar intake, by counting calories daily and reducing my caloric intake.
It is apparent that living an unhealthy lifestyle, as well as eating poorly, negatively affects one’s health. From a young age it is quickly learned which foods are considered healthful as opposed to junk food. It is a parents responsibility to supervise the intake of their child's food, however there is a higher risk than ever before of childhood obesity.
Americans eat entirely too much. And the foods we are consuming are not at all healthy, they contain excessive amounts of salt, sugar, saturated fat, carbohydrates, etc. This over eating is not only a severe problem in the adult population but also in America’s children as well. Results from a study performed by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that 1 to 2 year olds get 30 percent more of the 950 calories they require a day. It has also been found that another contributing factor to most children’s bad eating habits is the fact that they either rarely or never consume vegetables and fruit. Besides the lack of fresh fruits and vegetables children are consuming large amounts of sugar. Wether it be in candy or desserts, soda or sugary fruit juices children are beginning to consume these at very early ages. Results from another study performed by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that infants are drinking soda out of baby bottles as early as 7 months of age. In response to these disturbing facts Parents magazine published the preceding article. It outlines 10 steps that can be taken to
In 2004, at the age of 49, my uncle was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes, or late onset diabetes. He had been an unhealthy eater much of his life. At the time of his diagnosis, he weighed two-hundred forty-seven pounds. That may not sound like a lot, but at five-foot two-inches tall, he was ninety pounds heavier than average male of his height should be. Although, possible in the future, he was spared from daily injections of insulin. However, his battle with a new enemy was only beginning. In lecturing him on better eating habits, his doctor indirectly blamed sugary foods such as soda for his weight and overall health. Not knowing any better, my uncle took what he was told as grave warning. For the first time, he was forced to change what he eats. His life-long relationship with fast food and casino buffets were over, and in their place came a new and healthier diet. He is not alone, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are over twenty-six million people living with diabetes, seven million of that the CDC believes are undiagnosed cases. For my uncle’s age group, 40-49, the percentage of people with diabetes increased by fifty-five percent between 1990 and 1999. Furthermore, there were over one-million new cases of diagnosed cases for his age group, in 2010. (National Database 1-12). Does eliminating sugar intake and eating fresh foods equate to better health?
The health of the nation’s youth has been under scrutiny lately due to recent reports that are showing an increase in average body mass index (BMI), poor physical fitness, and elevations in blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood lipids (Eagle, Gurm, Goldberg, DuRussel-Weston, Kline-Rogers, Palma-Davis, Aaronson, Fitzgerald, Mitchell, Rogers, Breunger, Jackson, and Eagle 2010). Eagle et al. (2010) Attribute the decrease in health to “fast food, lack of physical activity due to increased TV and computer screen time, and there is also an expanding appreciation for an inherited basis for childhood obesity” (P.1185). Sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) account for on average 159 calories daily and an average of 9 tablespoons of added sugar daily (Briefel, Wilson, Cabili, & Hedley Dodd, 2013). ...
Probably some of the most pleasurable and enjoyable memories of a person has to do with sweets. When thinking back to birthdays, there is always the memory of the wonderful cake that mother beautifully made and decorated with frosting and glazes. A typical night out with dad can be transformed into a magical evening with a trip to the ice cream parlor. The end of a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner turns heavenly when a hot apple pie is brought to the table and topped with delicious, melting vanilla ice cream. A good wedding is never complete without the cutting of the splendid multi-level wedding cake, when the happy new couple gets to playfully shove and smear cake and white frosting into each other’s smiling faces. Everyone knows that as a child, the only good part about going to the dentist is getting the candy bar at the end of the visit. Why do some people get sick after eating too much suger? Some people do not even know that the abuse of sugar can lead to negative effects on your body. There is something strangely enjoyable and resplendent about the consumption of sugar. Why is it that sugar is so deliciously enjoyable and at the same time a food product that has many negative affects on people’s health?
Food is one of life’s main fundamentals to sustain viability. It is the continuing growth, maintenance and repair of the body that depends deeply on the energy and nutrients supplied to the body through the food. The nutrients that food provides to the human body is an incredibly, forceful process that keeps people alive and healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over twenty-five million people in America have diabetes; 215,000 of those are children and over sixty-nine percent of all Americans are overweight and obese. This includes childhood obesity, which has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past thirty years. These shocking statistics that reveals that Americans, especially children, are not getting the proper nutrients their body needs. Processed or manufactured food is slowing destroying America’s people and also our economy.
Not many people pay attention to labels on the cereal box or the soda they are drinking. "More than one-third of the U.S. adults, 35.7 percent, are obese" (Adult). Junk food has become a meal in most teenagers lives and adults who are always on the go. They don't have time to eat in the mornings before work or school, so therefore they eat processed sugared foods. Situations like these though are only one of the many possible situations that could lead to obesity. In the years 2004-2005, a...
Parents are not teaching children how to eat healthy. They feed them cheeseburgers, chicken fingers, and fries. Kids are not being exposed to a regular diet of health fruits and vegetables. Now some people are just naturally overweight, but being “overweight” is not the same as being “obese.” Someone who is overweight has reached a maximum weight limit for their height. When someone goes beyond this maximum limit, then they are considered “obese” (Kiess 1). Research shows that “obesity is generally defined as the abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in adipose tissue” (Kiess 1). The increase in childhood obesity today is mainly the fault of the parent because they are unable to tell their children “no” when it comes to junk food (Kiess 104). Parents are the one buying all the food that comes into the house. They are the ones buying the sugary drinks and chips. They are the ones allowing the children to “have what they want.” Because parents are not teaching their children how to eat healthy, we will continue to see childhood obesity increase. Unfortunately, overweight children will be the ones who suffer because statistics show children who are overweight are more likely to become obes...
We are all familiar with sugar. It is sweet, delicious, and addictive; yet only a few of us know that it is deadly. When it comes to sugar, it seems like most people are in the mind frame knowing that it could be bad for our health, but only a few are really taking the moderate amounts. In fact, as a whole population, each and everyone of us are still eating about 500 extra calories per day from sugar. Yes, that seems like an exaggerated number judging from the tiny sweet crystals we sprinkle on our coffee, but it is not. Sugar is not only present in the form of sweets and flavourings, it is hidden in all the processed foods we eat. We have heard about the dangers of eating too much fat or salt, but we know very little about the harmful effects of consuming too much sugar. There still isn’t any warnings about sugar on our food labels, nor has there been any broadcasts on the serious damages it could do to our health. It has come to my concern during my research that few
In our society today, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes is increasing. Diabetes is caused by many factors, like genetics, inactivity, and obesity. With obesity on the rise in our country, so is diabetes, especially in young children. With the fattening and unhealthy foods provided by fast food chains and grocery stores, children are the ones that diabetes affects the most, causing them to have higher chances of being diagnosed with diabetes. According to Kim and Lee (2008), the rates of childhood obesity have tripled over the past three decades.