Limit Sugar, Rethink

100-word summary of the EAL, Cochrane, or ASPEN evidence summary of the nutrition related guidelines

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.

Sugar is everywhere in our lives. When you eat, sugar is in the food such as hamburger, sandwiches, pizza, bread, etc. When you drink, sugar is in the beverage like soda, juice, coffee and even milk. Furthermore, sugar exists in snacks such as cookies, cupcakes, biscuits and so on. I cannot list everything with sugar here. Actually, when we eat, we eat sugar. Unfortunately, sugar is now considering a toxic to our bodies. It causes diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart attack and cancer, etc. As sugar threatens the public health, government is considering curb sugar consumption by taxes on sugar; restrictions placed on food production and even age requirements on purchasing sugary foods. For this research project, I decided to pursue the question, Should sugar be regulated? This question deserves to be examined because we need to make some change for life to reduce sugar intake but at the same time it’s controversial that whether the government should intervene and regulate sugar. I wonder how the government will take appropriate measures to regulate sugar as well as improve public health.

In our daily life, we all have tasted sugar probably more than you think. Sugar is something we enjoy without having much concern, in fact this can be problematic. With the amount of sugar we take in, it can affect our health in the future. Therefore, the US government should create strict sugar regulations, in order to prevent future health problems of its citizens. The regulation can hopefully help prevent the increasing rate of diabetes, more risk of liver issues, and reduce people’s sugar addiction. Most people are unaware of these problems and it’s up to the US to make a change in people's health with a strict sugar regulation.

The book describes a healthful diet as one that includes: consuming a variety of nutrient-dense foods within the food groups; limiting intake

The 2010 dietary guidelines for Americans focuses on food variety, amount, and nutrition. It also emphasizes less saturated fat, sodium and added sugar. It encourages people to make small changes in their diet and to make healthy food and beverage choices. These are some of the strengths of this dietary approach.

The statement made earlier in this paper, “high levels of dietary cholesterol is the leading cause of heart disease and obesity” is troubling. Primarily due to what a statement of such simplicity represents. If dietary choices were so simple obesity and heart disease would not have gone unchecked for a generation of American’s who increased their consumption of both sugar, and unsaturated fats. Indeed, strict scientific review, and contextualized in-depth analysis are the only way to tease out accurate understandings in helping people make more informed decisions about what they

The central theme of the book is presented to us in the form of a wake-up call. America needs a jolt back to the basics. We are presented with data and statistics that seem fairly redundant at first glance, but then you look at the fact that in the 1980s Coca Cola began to use high fructose corn syrup in their beverages; as a way to sweeten them. During those same years, American obesity rates peaked and have struggled to come down ever since. (Moss 107)

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 was germane about his article about sugar. The author is bulwark about his title and his statements of too much-added sugar in diets. Some people are judicious about their choice of not eating too much sugar. I was benign of the author’s words and his stalwart facts about extra sugar. The writer’s statements are clear because he has evidence but also has facts.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans has been published since 1980. It was formed as a textual document by The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion in the USDA and the Health and Human Services Department of the US. It has been updated every five years since 1985. Its sole purpose is to make dieticians and health professionals aware of the recommendations about healthy and nutritionally adequate diets to promote healthy eating and prevent chronic disease for current and future generations in Americans. Having doing so, it has provided many Americans with a greater understanding and the importance of healthy eating and how certain foods and beverages affects the health.

The recommended dietary guideline is (as shown below) 5 grain servings, 2.5 meat servings, 5 vegetable servings, 2 fruit servings, and 3.5 dairy servings. My diet (as shown below) is composed of 5 grain servings, 2.5 meat servings, 3 vegetable servings, fruit servings, and 2 dairy servings. My diet is composed of more grains, meat, and fresh fruit and less vegetables and dairy. The strengths of my diet is plenty of protein, fresh fruits, but the weaknesses of my diet is too much grains, not enough vegetables or dairy products which contains much needed calcium. My diet is reasonably close to the guidelines but can be improved. Your food intake is very important as it impacts your health and your future health.

Health and Human Services Department and U.S. Department of Agriculture focus for the new Dietary Guideline was chronic disease especially diabetes and heart disease because heart disease is the number one killer of American. Some of the recommendation of the Dietary Guideline is to cut back on sugar, saturated fat, sodium, and alcohol. The recommended amount of sugar and saturated fat is 10 percent or less of total calories a day. Base on a 2000 calories intake a day dieted a person can have 12 teaspoons of sugar or 48

Support: according to the USDA’s mypyramid.gov, the Dietary Guidelines describe a healthy diet as one that, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity rates have tripled in the last 30 years, and at least 1/3 of America’s children are overweight. In minority populations, those rates are even higher. African-American and Hispanic household percentages rise to approximately 40%. Americans as a whole consume 31% more calories now than 40 years ago, with an average of 15 pounds per person of sugar annually (14% of our dietary intake). Perhaps the dietary number that should be of most concern, however, is the 56% of fat and oil that make up America’s diet. ("Learn The Facts | Let 's Move!”. 2016)