The Association Between Sugar Intake And Obesity

I grew up playing the game “Candyland”, and I dreamed of finding the golden ticket and living in Willie Wonka’s factory. I was also given a Gatorade after every sporting event I ever played in so what could be so bad about sugar? Sugar, real and artificial, can be found in almost every product we consume and although sugar is a simple carbohydrate that the body uses for energy, its impact on our body is far from simple. The consumption of sugar has been linked to a host of chronic health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The addictive nature of sugar is also a significant problem that leads to the other detrimental effects listed above. Sugar has also been useful to help preserve goods, fuel fermentation, balance acidity, and add flavor to other foods. Whether it’s cereal, spaghetti sauce, or yogurt, sugar is everywhere and has become unavoidable in our daily diets. As Americans, we have become accustomed to the sweet addictive taste of sugar, and our dependence on excessive amounts of sugar in its different forms has become alarming to many health experts. In analyzing preference and dependency with sugar, I will trace the addictive nature and major risks sugar has placed on society.

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.

Sugary beverages suggest a poor dietary quality; they are loaded with added sugars and attribute to the body’s energy density. “A 20-year study on 120,000 men and women found that people who increased their sugary drink consumption by one 12-ounce serving per day gained more weight over time—about 4 pounds per year” (19). Through increasing the daily intake in trivial increments, the body substantially results in an increased BMI (body mass index) and an increased body fat percentage score. Another study conducted at Harvard found that a 60 percent increase occurs in children for each 12-ounce they additionally drink daily. (________) The growing correlation between obesity and sugar has led to further studies, and statistical data. Researchers have revealed that in total, “half the people in the U.S. consume sugary drinks; 1 in 4 get at least 200 calories from such drinks; and 5% get at least 567 calories.” It was additionally found that one-fourth of Americans are consuming more than 135 grams of sugar per day from soda and other sweetened beverages, which compares to people of the past who only had 10 grams of fructose a day (_____). Such a high daily intake of sugar and calories illustrates the risk that arises when people consume too much sugar; that is, sugary drinks result in weight issues and medical consequences.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an inexpensive syrup created by changing about half of the particles comprising corn starch into fructose. Due to the cheapness of HFCS it has replaced natural sugars in most of the food consumed in America. Resulting in HFCS being found in just about all processed foods made today. Consuming any kind of sweetener has shown to greatly increase the chances of obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol and metabolic syndrome (Zeratsky, 2015). Since the invention of HFCS American obesity rates went from fifteen percent of the population to around one third of the population suggesting a strong

Abstract: The use of high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in various food and drink products has drastically affected the American people in the last three decades. Dominating 55% of the sweetener market because of its industrial benefits, HFCS’s increased use has caused dramatic effects in its consumers, including upsetting normal hormonal functions, destroying vital organs, nerves, and throwing off the body’s mineral balance. As the use of HFCS increased, the rates of obesity, diabetes, and related health problems have escalated, resulting in a nationwide epidemic.

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

Overeating sugar is the culprit of a mounting number of obesity, heart diseases, and diabetes cases in America these days. Look around, you can see numerous amounts of fast food stores, also all the “amazingly fancy” advertisements hanging in front of them. But behind all of that crunchy, tasty and savory French fries and hamburgers in the stores, there is a deadly lie. Eating a healthy diet is getting more and more alarming, I know you are tired of people telling you to go for a healthy

Because of this Americans now eat 523 extra calories, and on average about 76 of those calories will come exclusively from the new sugars and sweeteners like HFCS. But the reason for this large increase in sugar intake is most likely because of the foods that it’s put in. The foods that HFCS is in are not food that people would associate sweetness with such as ketchup or bread (pbs.com). Apart from comparisons between HFCS and table sugar, there is evidence that the overconsumption of added sugar in any form, including HFCS, is a major health problem, especially for onset of obesity. Consuming added sugars, particularly as sweetened soft drinks, is strongly linked to weight gain. The World Health Organization has recommended that people limit their consumption of added sugars to 10% of calories, but experts say that typical consumption of empty calories in the United States is nearly twice that

This research essay will investigate the effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup. The liver is effected because the fructose—as it is being metabolized deposits fatty acids into the liver, it also develops cirrhosis, which has the same effect normally seen in alcoholics. High Fructose Corn Syrup increases cholesterol which blocks the inner walls of the arteries and may be fatal if not treated. High Fructose Corn Syrup was believed to be beneficial to diabetics, but studies show the they may actually promote more diseases. Obesity is a major problem, as High Fructose Corn Syrup does not release leptin—which is what signals the brain to stop eating, so society is prone to over consumption. It also alters the heart's use of other

With more intake, a person is susceptible to gain weight, and with less intake, susceptible to lose weight over a given period of time. This is known as the Calorie-in Calorie-out effect. The source of the calorie, however, determines whether it is healthy for the body or not. The same amount of calorie coming from oats and chips are not comparable at all. In the USA, most people rely on processed and fast food, rich in artificial preservatives, Trans fat and sodium content. Fast foods, famous for their low price, large portion and taste are responsible for overeating and weight gain too (Food and Diet). With these foods, we get much more sodium, fat and cholesterol than required by our body, resulting in chronic heart disease, high cholesterol level in blood and gradual accumulation of fat leading to obesity. In addition to that, widespread use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as an artificial sweetener in soft drinks, beverages and desserts is proved to have been related with high-calorie intake and increment in obesity, as mentioned by an article in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Bray).

Warning that America's health was at risk because of all of these new substances in food could reverse many health gains achieved in recent decades, the startling news report prompted scientists into new research pertaining to the causes of obesity. The process through which high fructose corn syrup is made is quite complex. “Specialized enzymes turn the majority of the glucose molecules that are found in corn into fructose, which makes the substance substantially sweeter” (Guggenheim 148). This ninety percent fructose syrup mixture is then combined with regular corn syrup, which is one hundred percent glucose molecules, to get the right percentage and balance of fructose and glucose. The final product is a translucent and clear liquid with high viscosity that is roughly as sweet as sugar. “The name high fructose corn syrup is misleading because it is high in fructose only in relation to regular corn syrup, but not to sugar” (“High Fructose Corn Syrup Facts”). The version of high fructose corn syrup used in carbonated beverages and other sweetened drinks consists of fifty-five percent fructose and forty-five percent glucose, very similar to plain white sugar, which is fifty percent fructose and fifty percent glucose. The form of high fructose corn syrup used in other products like baked goods, fruit preservatives, cookies, yogurts, and other food products are forty-two percent fructose and fifty-eight percent glucose, is actually lower in fructose than white

In the past 50 years the rate of obesity in the United States has tripled, while obesity has increased around sevenfold. Sugar, according to Taubes, is at the center of these worldwide problems. The sugary diet of the average American is often adopted by eastern countries. Once adopted, scientists have seen a dramatic increase in obesity rates. Taubes says this can be attributed sugar’s biological and mechanical properties, though this is apparently a minority opinion. Taubes states obesity is a hormonal disorder often caused by insulin, the primary driver of “our horizontal growth.”

In recent years, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has been at the center of a nutritional battle. Some say that it is to blame for the rise in obesity in America, but others believe that it is not the culprit. Currently, two out of every three Americans are considered obese or overweight; and nearly one out of six children, ages 6-19, fall into this category. High fructose corn syrup is an artificial sweetener made from corn and a mixture of 42-55% fructose and the remaining, glucose. It has become wildly popular for its ability to alter the taste and texture of foods at a cheaper price. High fructose corn syrup cannot be contributing to obesity because the use of HFCS has decreased in recent years in response to media attacks, yet new cases

First, refined sugars not only fuel good cells, but are a feast for malicious, cancerous cells. Though it is commonly accepted that sugar is, indeed, bad for one’s health, many do not know the extent of harm that can be done. As one study states “Eating lots of sugar over time can cause you to gain weight, and robust scientific evidence shows that being overweight or obese increases the risk of 13 different types of cancer...This is an urgent problem: the world is slowly drifting into an obesity crisis, with the condition already linked to nearly 500,000 cancer cases worldwide every year” (Smith). With the obesity crisis becoming exponentially worse in America, it is no wonder that cancer rates have risen as well. Although many people would like to “find the cure”

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