Cohort Studies Essay

The past fifty years has seen a spike in the consumption of sugar, that number totaling a tripling increase. However, sugar is not the only risk factor here, alcohol and tobacco can also be attributed with the spike, albeit not as prevalent as sugar. The biggest question that Lustig et al. poses to its’ readers is this: “What aspects of the Western diet should be the focus of intervention”? (par. 3) The current USDA has been deemed “boogeymen” of diets, as well as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Lustig et al. all believe that our attention should be turned towards “added sugar”, which is a sweetener that has fructose in it. Perhaps the biggest controversy from the past fifty years has been none other than a severe culprit that experts know as high fructose corn syrup or HFCS.

Before I could focus on the sugar regulation, I first need to learn more about sugar and how sugar affects public health. I started by reading a scholarly article “Dangerous Sweet: The True Impacts of Sugar on Your Health,” from Rodale News, to give me a basic understanding of this problem. The author Isaac Eliaz, MD is an integrative medicine expert and the founder of the

Ultimately, the debate continues as to whether the US government should create strict sugar regulations or not. Sugar regulations should be enforced in order to decrease the rate of diabetes, risk of liver failures, and sugar addiction problems. These problems outright can ruin a person’s life, even leading to death. These problems give the necessary reason for the government to take action for a stricter sugar regulation for population

Excess consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are risk factors for obesity.1

Recent evidence linking sugar to non-communicable disorders shows that we need to rethink and re-evaluate what we know about sugar and how we consume it. According to the World Health Organization, sugar should not be more than 10% of the calories you consume daily. This is about 30-50 grams or 6-10 teaspoons of added sugar, depending on the age. Are all types of sugar bed? What are the common sources of added sugar? Are you concerned about eating too much sugar? Should you? Consider the answers to 3 most common questions about sugar and their answers

The daily food energy intake of Americans has been consistently rising since the early 1970’s while the energy expenditure has remained constant. A closer look at the data indicates that calories from fat are the same or even slightly decreased, while the calories from carbohydrates have increased by about 20% (Gaesser). Coincidentally or not, this is also about the same time that high fructose corn syrup was introduced. Between 1970 and 2000 consumption increased from 0.6 to 73.5 lbs per person per year (Bray). Doing the math, this would result in an additional 360 calories a day, though it should be noted that other sugars were decreased over this time so the impact is roughly half of that. At the same time, the energy intake increased from 3200kcal/day to 3900 kcal/day (Gaesser). Taking this a step further is the fact that there is a strong linkage between diabetes and obesity or excess weight gain. Between 60 and 90% cases of type 2 diabetes can be linked to obesity. Increases in body mass index (BMI) are as linked to increased risk for diabetes as demonstrated by both the Pima Indians and female nurses. (Anderson) Altogether, this paints a picture that type 2 diabetes is primarily due to excess body weight, which is fundamentally due to increased carbohydrate consumption, and in particular high fructose corn syrup. As obesity looks to be the principal cause of type 2 diabetes, treatments need to address both

In the documentary film “Fed Up”, sugar and the sweeteners in our food or beverages is featured to be the prime ingredient that is making the most of our adolescents obese. It tells of a few families struggling with obesity, and how these families have been trying to do everything they can to help their children lose weight. It shows what kind of food that they are eating at home and the weight problem that most of the family is struggling with. The food that is being served at schools and also the thousands of products that contain sugar, everywhere groceries are bought; sugar is the main cause for obesity. It tells that low wage earners have no choice, but to buy unhealthy food, because healthier food cost more. “The bottom line: cheap, unhealthy foods mixed with a sedentary lifestyle has made obesity the new normal in America. There is no single, simple answer to explain the obesity patterns in America, says Walter Willett, who chairs the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health” article in the U. S. News. Although it does cost more, a school of public health wrote in an article, “While healthier diets did cost more, the difference was smaller than many people might have expected. Over the course of a year, $1.50/day more for eating a healthy diet would increase food costs for one person by about $550 per year. On the other hand, this price difference is very small in comparison to the economic costs of diet-related chronic diseases, which would be

1999). Sugar plays a huge role in the growing obesity levels. The largest source of added sugar in the US diet is sugary drinks. A recent study found that body weight significantly lowered when sugar intake was decreased. While an increased sugar intake led to a similar weight gain. This study also found that children whom consumed sugary drinks had a 55% higher risk of obesity (Hu, 2013). The progression of obesity, added sugar being a main cause, and the billions of US dollars being spent on obesity related healthcare; I believe this act will be supported by the public.

Thesis: Overall, recent studies have shown that sugar substitutes isn’t and can cause potential health problems.

Thesis As I said earlier high fructose corn syrup is commonly used for a cheaper sugar substitute. But government subtitles aren't the only price we are paying. Fructose corn syrup is much more fattening than sugar. Michael pollen states in omnivore's dilemma that “Kids in the us today may turn out to be the first group of Americans with life spans that are shorter than their parents.” This important because fructose corn syrup is part of that. If we keep eating the way we do things are not going to go well. Already “momently 17% of children and teenagers are obese in 2015b compared to 5% back in the 1970s”. If we keep eating way it could lead to debits heart problems and more food policies need to be change so there is not even a possibility of choosing colorful high fructose corn slurp over an apple

There are plenty of reasons and research studies that show how destructive sugar can be for your health if not managed properly, “and unfortunately our standard American Diet is anything but balanced.”(Konie 1) Americans don’t manage their sugar levels, let alone manage their sugar intake. The exponential growth of obesity in underway and the main cause. Sugar. Many people don’t understand this but sugar is perfectly fine as long as you can control it, many also don’t realize just, “how dangerous the extremes can be.”(Konie 1)

Pollan states that energy-dense foods are the cheapest on the market. For example, one dollar can either buy 1,200 calories of potato chips/cookies or 250 calories of carrots. One dollar can also buy either 875 calories of soda or 170 calories of juice. Most people opt for the first options because you get more calories for your money. This is the reason the daily intake of calories has jumped ten percent and all of these extra calories can be traced back to the farm. Corn has become a product in many of the things we eat. In 1980, corn, or rather high-fructose corn syrup, became an ingredient in Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola had clever marketing when they changed their eight ounce bottles to twenty ounces to get people to pay a little more for a larger amount of coke. Because of this, consumption of sugars has grown from 128 pounds to 158 pounds per person. If corn had never been put in Coca-Cola would we be healthier today? Would our consumption of sugars be lower? This chapter led me to think more about why people choose to eat the things they do and made me realize that these less nutritious foods have a big impact on us in the long run.

When most people think about sugar, their first thoughts are not: heart disease, addiction, or slow and painful death; yet, unfortunately, these conditions are very real consequences of the unregulated and excessive consumption of sugar. In Nature’s article, “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” (2012), Robert Lustig, pediatric endocrinologist; Laura Schmidt, Professor of Health Policy at UCSF; and Claire Brindis, Professor of Pediatrics and Health Policy at UCSF, evaluate the world’s ever-increasing and toxic struggle with the substance sugar – also discussing counter measures to promote healthier diets amongst American’s and other societies. Lustig and his colleagues develop their argument using statistical evidence as they address the global impact of sugar, refuting minor oppositions, before dissecting each harmful aspect of the substance – even comparing it to substances more known for their toxicity. Eventually, presenting readers with possible routes of regulation, the authors firmly suggest government intervention in the production and sale of sugary foods. Although the argument is well executed, I remain unconvinced that government intervention is actually necessary.

The author’s for the article “Regional Differences in Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake among US Adults” are Sohyun Park, PhD; Lisa C. McGuire, PhD; and Deborah A. Galuska, PhD. All of the author’s credentials are the same which is a Doctor of Philosophy, which is short abbreviated as PhD where a person who attains a doctorate of philosophy is awarded the academic title of a doctor. Sohyun Park is also an epidemiologist, Lisa McGuires is the lead epidemiologist and Deborah Galuska is an associate director for science, division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity. I believe that the author Deborah Galuska is a credible source for nutrition because first and foremost she has a PhD, and is also an Associate Director for Science for Division

As we hear of more studies exclaiming alarming findings of negative health concerns related to obesity and our continuously growing percentage of obesity in our country, particularly childhood obesity, sugar is in the spotlight. We often hear of dieticians and weight loss experts warning us that we