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Effects of sugar on the human body
Harmful effects of excess sugar essay
Effects of sugar on the human body
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Recommended: Effects of sugar on the human body
Sugar in the American diet More than 71 percent of American adults get more than the recommended 5 to 8 percent of their total daily calories from sugar (this translates to 8 to 10 teaspoons of sugar a day). In the typical American diet, however, 15 percent of our daily calories come from sugar and other carbohydrates. Higher levels of sugar consumption are correlated with a higher risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases. Each American consumes 156 pounds of sugar each year. This is equivalent to 31 five-pound bags for each of us. Out of this amount of sugar, only 29 pounds come as traditional sugar and the rest comes from processed foods. Nearly 33 percent of sugar in our diet comes from sodas and other drinks. A 24 OZ bottle of
Most of the critics agree with the movie and highly recommend the film, although other critics challenge the film, saying it has inflated the facts blaming a single nutrient, sugar, may lead to overweight and obesity. In 1977, the United States Government produced a document titled, “Dietary Goals For The United States.” This document set the dietary goals we know today. The recommended carbohydrate consumption in 1977 was 55%-60%, with a 15% sugar intake. In 2010, that is the most current, it is recommended to consume 45%-65% and 5%-15% sugar intake. The film mentioned that carbohydrates that include processed starch has the same effect as pure sugar. According to Hardvard T.H. Chan under the School Of Public Health, when the public consumes food containing carbohydrates, the body digest it into sugar. The critics Steve Dorfman, Michael Sauter and David Templeton all agree that the government, the media and the sugar industry plays an important role in the rise of the American obesity epidempic. They also make valid points that the average American consumes more sugar than before. Although Jerry Hagstrom and the International Food Council Foundation states the film Fed Up inflated claims, the facts presented are significant enough to be noticed. The U.S. government policy effectively regulates the safety of the food industry, although the long
The typical American diet is about 50% carbohydrate, 15% protein, and 35% fat, which is over the dietary guidelines for the amount of fat (below 30%), below the guidelines for carbohydrate (above 55%), and at the upper end of the guidelines for the amount of protein (below 15%) recommended in the diet. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_pattern_diet). Not only is the Standard American Diet completely lacking in terms of the quantity of macronutrients being consumed, but the quality of the foods that most Americans are eating is extremely poor as well. The Standard American Diet is high in animal fats, low in fiber, low in complex carbohydrates, and low in plant-based
According to the article, Too Much Can Make Us Sick (http://www.sugarscience.org/too-much-can-make-us-sick/), “Heart disease. Diabetes. These chronic conditions are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Increasingly, scientists are focusing on a common set of underlying metabolic issues that raise people's risk for chronic disease. It turns out that the long-term overconsumption of added sugars is linked to many of these dysfunctions.” This means that people living today, have a lot more trouble with diseases because of our unhealthy sugar intake compared to the
One of the most unhealthy diets in the world is that of an American. It is made up of processed foods and a good amount of television. America easily has the most fast food restaurants in the entire world. Leave it to McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King or any other fast-food restaurant to serve extremely cheap and even unhealthier food at any time during the day or night. ”It tastes good so why not?” That seems to be the question many people are asking now-a-days. Because it is so easily accessible and processed, it is made to be very tasty and extremely unhealthy. Many Americans find his or herself indulging on the these fatty foods of America on a day-to-day basis. While it may taste good at the time, it has a terrible effect on your body on a long-term basis. Eat it regularly, and it becomes a nasty and deadly habit and can cause heart failure, Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, high-blood pressure, and many other life threatening complications to the body. The American diet has a numerous amount of pitfalls and disgusting habits. The American diet is one of the worst diets because of its portions, processed foods, and how it is very cheap, but the American diet can be overcome with determination, a healthy diet, and an exercise routine.
There are plenty of sugary soft drinks in the market today. Sugary soft drinks are included as drinks defined by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Health and Human Services in their Dietary Guidelines for Americans as “sugar-sweetened beverages” that contain different types of sugars that contribute calories. Examples of these are lemonade, sports drinks, energy drinks, carbonated sodas and sweetened teas and coffees (Marrow,2011).
American's spend millions of dollars on sweets, ice-cream, cakes, pastries, soda, and chocolates as the holiday's and birthday's season approach. A recent study indicates that cutting back sugar for 10 days has significant impact. When a study conducted with 43 kids, diet, it was noted that after 10 days of cutting back sugar, their bad cholesterol dropped, reduced risk of diabetes, blood glucose and insulin levels were back to normal. This was a very significant result just by cutting back sugar for 10 days. It suggests that adults can also benefit from this study.
“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.
The Mediterranean Diet is one of the diets that includes a high consumption of olive oil, fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish, and unrefined grains (Robson, 2014). Additionally, this diet recommends a low consumption of red meat, poultry and dairy products as well as low to moderate intake of wines (Robson, 2014). Research studies have revealed that the Mediterranean diet helps to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis as well as chronic inflammation indicated in diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity and other mental health disorders (Gostis et al., 2015). The Mediterranean diet contains anti-inflammatory properties, which aids in the atherosclerotic inflammatory process by using oxidative stress to improve the regenerative capacity of the cell endothelium (Gostis et al.,
In 2012, Americans consumed an average of 765 grams of sugar every 5 days, or 130 pounds each year.
Most Americans do not care enough to take a look at the nutritional values of the food that he or she is consuming. That is why America has the highest percentage of obesity in the world. This is a serious problem because one in every three adults is obese, and one in every six children is obese. There are many factors that go into the regular American diet, but most of those factors are not appealing nor is it healthy. Americans put way too much processed food into their daily diet. Some would say that other countries diets superior the American diet because of nutritional values that it carries. Other countries have proven that an active lifestyle is a huge element in the average weight of the country. There are many things that Americans could change about their diets and lifestyle that would help them to become healthier.
Americans are eating too much cheese, sugar, starch, and red meat. Their most popular meals are pizza, burritos, nachos, quesadilas, and pasta which sounds healthy but as they develop, they are not as healthy as they were before with all the ‘extra ingredients’ they put in. Americans are taking in way too many calories per day if that’s what they eat, which suggest that they are definitely overheating. (Filipovic) Americans are taking approximately twice the amount of salt needed, around 70 pounds of sugar per year, and 11 percent of calories from saturated fats which can cause heart disease.(Berger) Besides that, they are not eating enough fruit and vegetables to balance the meal. (Filipovic) Americans eat 632 pounds of dairy, 31.4 pounds of that is cheese. 415.4 pounds of vegetables, most of it is potatoes and corn, and 29 pounds of that is french fries. They eat 273 fruits which usually means apples o...
Surveys have shown that sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugar in our diets. According to a Coca-Cola history website, the soft-drinks’ bottle sizes have been enlarged drastically over the past 40 years, basically meaning that we are drinking more soft drinks than ever. As an example, half of the population in the US consume sugary drinks every day, in which about 25 percent gain at least 200 calories from these drinks. Sugary drinks are also the top calorie source in teen’s diets, increasing the risk of diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart problems from an early stage. It is a significant factor that leads to obesity, so I believe resisting these sugary drinks and promoting healthier products could definitely assist the goal of elevating the number of a healthy
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 ...
Sugary drinks are a major cause of obesity. Most children and young adults are overweight or obese because they are consuming too much of a sugary drink. “2 out of 3 adults and 1 out of 3 children in the united states are overweight or obese.” Most of the time children and adults consume some type of sugary drink and then afterwards will not do any physical activity. Mainly sugary drinks like, soda and energy drinks is advertised to children between the ages of 2-17. Obesity is a big thing in the U.S. Many Americans will develop type 2 diabetes throughout their lifetime because they consumed too much of a sugary beverage. They consume but do not get any physical activity. In order for a person to be fit and healthy, they must get up you 30-60 minutes of physical a...
Sugar, like many other tradeable goods, was circulated through a variety of regions for over a thousand years. As trade and transportation created opportunities for more interactions between locations, sugar was introduced to places that it had been previously unknown. In the sixteenth century, Europe, specifically England, took a large interest in sugar, first serving as a luxury for the elite class but eventually evolving into a good available to all social classes. The high demand for sugar led to the expansion of sugar production, an increase in African slavery, and implemented a significant system of trade.