The Toxic Truth About Sugar

In their 2012 article, "The Toxic Truth about Sugar," Lustig et al argue that sugar, like alcohol, ought to be regulated by governments due to the harm it can cause to individuals' health and the public good. Their argument, at first glance, appears to be highly logical and virtually unassailable: alcohol is regulated because it is bad for health and causes other problems for society, and so sugar which is the cause of much greater and more pervasive health problems and is also detrimental to the social and cultural fabric of the peoples of the world in a variety of ways involving the agricultural industry and global development should also be carefully regulated and controlled. The researchers cite actions taken in other countries along the same lines as a further justification of their call for more control when it comes to sugar content and consumption, and clearly spell out some of the concrete harms that increased sugar consumption has had and will have on the world's population, not just in developed/industrialized countries but in all countries adopting similar diets. This adds up to a very compelling picture of the threat that sugar specifically and "junk food" (calorie-dense and nutritionally-lacking consumables) generally constitutes to the world population.

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.

This is a fact that is not only staggering, but also shocking that we’ve let this happen to the modern age what with all the technology that could perhaps help reduce this. Paragraph 3’s testimonial is in short order, the UN says that sugar is now in the same league of products as tobacco and alcohol, especially when consumed in large amount, can pose a serious health threat, however it is OK, but only if used in moderation.

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.

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

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

One in five children in America are obese. How is this possible? In Stephanie Soechtig’s documentary, “Fed Up” (2014), she brings awareness to a few of the causes of obesity and elaborates on the lack of effort people are putting in to end it. Food manufacturing corporations care only about strategic plans to put money in their pocket, not to help make America healthy. Obesity can be traced back to one main cause; sugar. The three things have been addressed through personal stories and physicians that support and increase sugar addictions of adolescents is the amount of added sugar in processed foods, junk food advertisements, and the lack of regulations relating to sugar. Sugar addiction is a real problem and is scientifically proven to be as addicting as cocaine.

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

Gary Taubes argues that sugar is a killer. The major flaw of his argument is that he doesn’t have any concrete evidence that shows that sugar is indeed the killer. However, a lot of the evidence hints that sugar may be the cause of many of the catastrophic health problems. He has built a case that leads back to the 1600’s about different studies and how they have might of hinted to the dangers of sugar. He shows how places like Southeast Asia who once lived off a lot of reined grains had a low level of obesity and health problems, but once they adopted a Western diet those rates increased. Sugar may not be the only possibility this happened, but it has a lot of potential to be. Another key point to this whole argument is how a lot of studies

It is challenging subject to determine whether government should have jurisdiction on sugar consumption to reduce obesity. In my perspective, government should provide alternative approach to regulate the use of sugar in the food that is consumed regularly. Legislation might interfere with the freedom of choices that public hold. FDA oversees and manages the food industry regulation for the safety of public. Information on the food labels are insignificant to read and comprehend at times if you are not careful. Moreover, some of the marketing claims may mislead the consumer. Long-term effect of sugar and fat intake can lead to obesity and chronic disease. However, effect of ingredients in the food is not labeled unlike drugs. Instead

Sugar; viewed as tasty, satisfying and irresistible treats to distract you from the toxic, addicting and deadly attributes it holds against you. It is so abundant in our everyday life. Our government must start a change. Taxing sugary products will reduce the physical effects of obesity, dental health and countless diseases caused from the simple ingredient of sugar. The potential impact of money gained from the tax is promising and will benefit a broad range of ages. Addiction is formed and sugar can become as deadly as drugs causing a vicious cycle of cravings. However, targeting one product will not change people's outlook, we need education, not tax gain alone to change their lifestyle.

Today in our society sugar is accepted and consumed in large quantities. According to the United Stated Department of Agriculture the average American consumes between 150 to 170 pounds a sugar a year (that’s 30 five pound bags). I myself have undergone an experiment to go without sugar for a week to identify the effects it had on my body first hand. I will present you with findings I have found and hope you learn a little more about this substance we put into our bodies so readily and willingly. Today I will talk to you about the physical effects, mental and emotional effects of sugar on the body, and the proper intake of sugar.

Summary: This documentary showed how sugar is as addicting as cocaine. By 2050, one in three people will be diagnosed with type two diabetes, where in 1980, there was zero reported cases. Companies know this information and reduced the fat, but doubled the sugar in their product.

Researchers who are publishing in the Journalist of the American Medical Association’s Internal Medicine have found that Americans who consume the most sugar are twice as likely to die from a heart disease compared to those of us who limit our sugar intake to about 160 calories a day. That is about 10 teaspoons.’ (http://www.npr.org/2014/02/05/271873707/you-may-be-eating-more-sugar-than-you-realize-and-thats-bad) (citaat)

Purpose: I want to persuade my audience that sugar is a dangerous drug that is damaging America?s health.