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Short essays the health problems attributed to sugar consumption
The consequences of consuming too much sugar essay
The consequences of consuming too much sugar essay
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Sugar is a food substance that has managed to have large influence over our modern life, health and our history. Currently, “ Most Americans are consuming way too much — on average, nearly 66 pounds of added sugar per person, every year.” By being part of the American nation I can relate to the high consumption of sugar in my daily life. I have grown up with fast food restaurants all around me from Mcdonald's too Dairy Queen. In the 7th grade, I had my first small Oreo Cookies Blizard. I thought it was the most amazing most delicious thing I had ever eaten in the whole entire world. But little did I know I was consuming about 283 grams of sugar in one small cup. This was because I was not aware or educated of the nutrition and health conditions …show more content…
According to the results of a study made by Dr.Robert Lustig and his colleagues: “He collected detailed food questionnaires from each of the adolescents to get an idea of the average amount of calories they ate per day, then designed a special menu for each of them for nine days that matched the total numbers of calories they would normally eat. The only difference in the nine-day diet was that most of the sugar the children ate was replaced by starch — the overall number of calories remained the same. The children weighed themselves daily, and if they were losing weight, they were told to eat more of the provided food in order to keep their weight the same throughout the study.” This means you can be the same weight and contain your daily calories even if you lower your sugar doses. The benefits for Some of the children were that they went from being insulin resistant, which is a precursor state to developing diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes, in which the body’s insulin levels can no longer keep up with the pace of breaking down sugar that’s coming in from the diet, to then becoming insulin sensitive. Most importantly after the nine days the article claims that “Overall, their fasting blood sugar levels dropped by 53%, along with the amount of insulin their bodies produced since insulin is normally needed to break down carbohydrates and sugars. Their triglyceride and LDL levels also declined and, …show more content…
One statistic I would like to incorporate into this research paper is that “Over the past 10 years in the United States the rates of diabetes and obesity have reached epidemic proportions. Similarly, managing heart disease has become a commonplace activity for many Americans.” This information is important because it compares the leading cause of death; heart disease-of Americans to the rates of diabetes and obesity. For years we have known that diabetes and obesity has increased but for it to be compared to heart disease which is astonishing. Leading sugar too be causing deaths too
interesting data like: the 3rd leading cause of death has been contributed to errors, and that 20%
“The Toxic Truth About Sugar”, written by Lustig et al. varies in their usage of rhetorical strategies to try to have their readers better understand that sugar, as common as it is, can be very dangerous when a big amount is consumed in one day. The numbers in our world don’t lie: A shocking statistic is that there are currently thirty percent more people who are obese than there are healthy. This discussion arose from the staggering facts that obesity is becoming more of an epidemic than ever before. The United States has a choice to make: Take the steps necessary to slow obesity or do nothing at all, like it feels we are currently doing. This can be a good or bad rush, depending on how you assess the situation.
Jon Gabriel explains how sugar has become an addictive drug like nicotine, the only difference is that its legal. Once we become hooked on it we become habituated to its effects and need more and more to satisfy ourselves. As a result of the increase in marketing and the on going dependence on sugary foods and beverages, children are taking in more and more sugar and obtaining less and less nutrients. According to Gentry Lasater,
The food that we as a nation consumes reflects the health and well being of the American people. We have become so accustomed to fast food and easy, unhealthy, diet choices that diseases like diabetes has become very prevalent and on the rise. One in every three Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes. In the film “Food Inc.” takes a look into a typical grocery store and reveals the illusion of variety. Most of the food in the industry leads back to corn. High fructose corn syrup, a sweetener made from corn starch, is found in many of the foods and beverages that we consume. High fructose corn syrup has been linked to metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Corn has become very affordable and abundant and big food
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.
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
You are out for a quiet lunch with your family, the waitress walks over and your 6 year old child asks for a lemonade with their lunch. Sure, you think one glass of soft drink won’t hurt right? Wrong. That one, seemingly innocent glass of lemonade contains a whopping 6 teaspoons of sugar. I doubt that you would let your child eat 6 teaspoons of sugar from a bowl, so why would you allow them to consume it in the form of a sugary soft drink? Sugar is highly addictive, can cause cancer and is causing childhood obesity. The proliferation of sugar in society is causing widespread problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancers, tooth decay and acid wear. Additionally, Rethink Sugary Drink claims that one can of soft drink a day can lead to an annual
“Sugar addiction is a rapidly growing epidemic (Teitelbaum, 2010).” According to researchers, on average an individual consumes one-hundred pounds of sugar each year. Americans spend billions of dollars a year on gym memberships, healthy foods and beverages, and exercise equipment. Despite the economic strain, Americans continue to make room in their budgets for weight loss products.
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
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). ...
When a person gains weight, they think the main cause is the fat that is included in the food they eat. They are terribly mistaken. According to the video Hungry for Change, they say, “ In the 1900’s, an average person only consumed about 15g of sugar a day. But in the present, modern adults consumes 70-80g of sugar a day, and teens consumes about 120-150g”. Sugar is not only a unhealthy diet and obesity, but it is the main cause of overweight. Sugar does not contain fat, but when people eat more calories than they burn, the remaining calories stays as fat. By being overweight, it can impact a person’s entire quality of life. In the physical health, the right kind of food gives you the strength and energy to make it through in your everyday lifestyle. In other words, by eating the wrong kind of foods, you won't get the energy you need in your life. In the mental/emotional health, a little stress is good for your body because it gives ...
As we know that human survival is only possible because of the energy that we get from our diet. One of the major sources of energy is carbohydrates which constitute sugars. Therefore, more amount of sweetness increase intake of food and maximize our energy. Consumption of sweetnary foods or drinks is dependent on age because children are more likely to consume than adults. Rochman (2012, para. 3 - 4) stated that an average U.S. adult consumes “22 teaspoons of sugar per day while teens swallow 34 teaspoons”. Moreover, “17% of U.S. children and teens are obese, and for the past 50 years, sugar intake has tripled worldwide” which means despite of their obesity, they have increased their amount of sugar consumption. For example, for a diabetic patient, consumption of sugar increases blood pressure and cholesterol but if that patient has remained empty stomach for one day then blood pressure level goes down so at time sugar is highly recommended to consume. A small portion of sugar is what a human body actually need. Sugar is valued as an inexpensive source of energy to support those people who are suffering from malnutrition and undernourished. An excessive amount of sugar might cause health problems but banning the sugary foods might not be much effective enough as compare to health education provided to people regarding the pros and cons of sugar on diet. When the government takes legal actions to control sugar as like alcohol and tobacco, it means they have full control on an individual’s choice which is not worthy. However, Basham (2012, para. 6 -7) stated that if the government puts tax on sugary items then poorer consumers start to ingest unhealthy or processed foods as they respond to higher food prices. In addition, “A 10 percent increase in price reduces
Mary’s University states “In the United States, the consumption of refined sugar, including that in processed foods, is over 65 pounds per person per year (20 teaspoons per day).” Therefore the consumption of extra calories over the last 30 years has increased immensely, leading society as victims for obesity. Table sugar is made up of sucrose and broken down into two simpler sugars bonded together called glucose and fructose. Cravings for sugar are linked to chemical changes in the brain and leads to alterations of moods. This causes a sugar high or an energy burst to the individual. These empty calories we consume have no nutritional value at all, and leave us craving for more. Sugar is most commonly found in soft drinks, desserts, and candy and now is added to breakfast cereals, breads, soups, frozen dinners, cosmetics and medicine. If we binge on the sweets, it leaves us feeling hungry, because we are hard wired for excess sugar even if you try and eat it in moderation. Having your cake and eating it too, can pile on the pounds and it puts Americans at risk for serious health
In a society where food comes in abundance, people are overeating. Compared to the beginning of the twenty first century when only about five percent of the population had diabetes (Nazarko, 2009), today that number is rising and continuing to do so. This is starting to affect the health of children diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. When a child has diabetes, it becomes very serious since children are at such a young age to deal, process, and handle the responsibilities that come with this disease.... ...