Too Much Sugar

Too Much Sugar

Just one bite. That’s what many people think when they’re going to indulge with a dessert. In reality, this isn’t a realistic plan because it’s hard to limit yourself to one bite. Americans are consuming too much added sugar on a daily basis. This could lead to many health conditions including obesity and cancer. Food companies are starting to put sugar in foods consumers would never suspect to have sugar. A leading brand of pasta sauce contains as much as four grams of added sugar in one serving. That’s one whole teaspoon.

A lot of Americans don’t pay any attention to food labels. Not knowing what you’re eating may result in eating more sugar, which causes many health conditions. Scientists have also found that the brain reacts to sugar addiction like a cocaine addiction. Over time, your brain starts to require more sugar intake as the body’s intolerance to sugar becomes stronger.

So how can this be fixed? At the moment, food labels don’t include the daily value of the added sugar in the product. If a person knew how much sugar is normal and how much sugar is actually in the food they are consuming, it would be easier to avoid eating sugary food. If someone was properly trained on how to read a food label and how to change their diet it could also prevent sugar addiction. Knowing the nutritional content of a food makes it harder to eat the food without feeling guilty.

Overall, if food companies put the daily value percentages on how much sugar is in each serving of the food it would be easier for the consumer to avoid eating that particular food. This means that obesity and type two diabetes’ rates would lower and Americans would overall be healthier.