Although sugar has shown evidence of causing everlasting negative effects on people’s health, it has yet to acquire the attention necessary. Experts have debated the use and consumption of sugar, but they have not taken the initiatives needed to combat against these traumatic effects. Sugar is included in nearly all foods and drinks to enhance the taste and flavor, but people do not realize the toll it takes on their bodies during the process of consumption. Specifically, in the United States, Americans consume an average of one hundred pounds of sugar in a single year. This extreme amount of sugar consumption is creating a rapidly growing addiction epidemic among people worldwide. Although there is a difference between “good sugars” and “bad sugars,” exposure to vast amounts of either can affect the health of individuals for the rest of their lives. Due to growing effects on individuals’ health the food industry needs to prioritize health over profit and set limits on the amount of sugar allotted in foods.

Humans are predisposed to crave the taste of sugar because our bodies and minds need it for energy. Carbohydrates that come in the form of glucose are “the energy source that feed our brains, muscles and other vital functions,” (Carr 2) and we receive this glucose from the sugar found naturally grown in plants. Food industries are attempting to refine sugar in in order to appeal to the taste buds of more people; these refined sugars have been around “for more than two thousand years” (Carr 2). Although sugar has been around for many years, it wasn’t available to all social classes. Sugar was designated strictly for the wealthy families that could afford it, this was precedent up until the slave trade era. In Wayne Rasmusssen’s Dictionary of American History, he states that sugar was introduced to new parts of the world, reaching new levels of popularity due to the important role it played in the triangle trade during the civil rights era. The sugar industry continues to skyrocket with every passing year. In the early 1900’s the world consumed “on average 11.2 pounds of sugar per capita per year” and today we consume on average “46.3 pounds per capita” (Carr 2) which is more than 400% from over 100 years ago. The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture stated the consumption of sugar reached almost 120 million metric tons in 2000. This rising epidemic needs to stop, or the consequences will continue to get worse. Pure sugar grown naturally from plants do not cause nearly the same harm as refined sugars do. The food industry’s decision to use refined sugar is the leading cause in this addiction epidemic. The food industry has been using refined sugars such as “crystallized sugars from sugar cane and sugar beet… [and] other products such as high fructose corn syrup” (Carr 2) which is only making this problem worse. Allen Carr states that the refining process of sugar has similarities to the refining process of coca plants to cocaine and the refining of poppy seeds to heroin. He states that they start with the “sugar cane plant, [then] the refining strips away its fibre, vitamins and minerals, leaving behind a white, crystalline substance that is very sweet and soluble” (Carr 2) this is what is added to foods, deceiving us into craving these unhealthy options. The food industry has been guilty of this for hundreds of years, and as a result health concerns in adults are becoming more common. 

Sugar is causing great health complications to consumers, many of which affect their daily life. Eating excessive amounts of sugared beverages and foods is the leading factor that contributes to childhood and adult obesity. Obesity now affects “more than 50 percent of adult Americans” and causes health risks such as “diabetes mellitus, hypertension heart disease, gallbladder disease, and some forms of cancer” (Bray) proving that being overweight yields many health impediments. Walter Willett, a doctor and professor for nutrition at Harvard Medical School, states that sugar enhances the flavor of foods and drinks. However, the increased use of sugar in food products is no longer just for taste purposes, companies add sugar as a way to get people addicted to their products. The association between sugar and poor health has contributed to “dental caries, [being] overweight, [and] diabetes” (Willett) trends and has been present for the past few decades. On his most recent double blinded, randomized study on children and sugar, the results showed that sugar “increases concentrations of insulin and triglycerides and reduces high density lipoprotein cholesterol” (Willett). All of the fluctuations of chemicals increase the risk in type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is when the body does not create enough insulin, or the cells don’t use the insulin properly causing blood sugar levels to sky rocket, leading to nerve damage or even heart disease. On the contrary, hypoglycemia is the result of “low blood sugar”, but it also “occurs frequently among diabetics” (Hypoglycemia). This usually occurs in response to the over-consumption of sugar causing the body to generate too much insulin. Willett also states that efforts to reduce sugar intake are necessary, as well as improving the qualities of the sugars that are consumed.

If there is no action taken against the food industry, the growing epidemic of sugar addiction will only continue to expand. Some argue that food addictions merely fall into the category of a habit, but studies have shown that the over-consumption of sugar is clearly defined as an addiction. A habit is defined “as a way of behaving that is repeated so often it no longer involves conscious thought”, whereas an addiction is “the state of needing to compulsively repeat a behavior.” (“Habits and Behaviors”) there is great debate on whether the consumption of sugar is considered fact or fallacy. Human minds are wired to obtain reward, it is the driving factor for survival, which is exactly where the root of sugar addiction begins. Not being able to control what decisions to make is exactly “what happens with notice, morphine, cocaine, and alcohol-and it happens with food.” (Lustig 5.53) Many people argue that fast food addictions are not because of sugar, because the food is mostly made of sodium. Anecdotal reports abound human “sugar addition” (Lustig 5.60), but studies show otherwise. In a study done with rodent models, the rats that were “exposed to intermittent sugar access binged. After taking the sugar away, the rats began to show signs of withdrawal such as “teeth chattering, tremors, shakes, and anxiety” (Lustig 5.60) The sugar was then given back and the “seeking and craving phase [was] demonstrated when the animals consumed more sugar after [the] two-week imposed abstinence”. Some rats whose dopamine levels were elevated to more extreme levels demonstrated stronger sugar addiction effects because they “readily switched to alcohol or amphetamine use” (Lustig 5.60), proving that sugar addiction is real. Sugar can be consumed in large amounts because it can satisfy the desire for sweetness, but the sweetness is far less intense than that of other substances, causing people not to realize the large amounts they consume. This can only lead to greater issues in people’s health status, both in physically and mentally.

Sugars and Sweeteners cannot be disbanded completely. For one, it would deplete the economy, as the food industry relies on it so heavily; secondly, sugar is the “most important sweetener… [and] tends to be one of the cheapest sources of dietary energy”. Some people argue that providing only 4 kilocalories per gram of energy is “merely ‘empty calories’” (Hagelberg) but it enhances the food and beverages that are consumed proving to play a vital dietary role. Although sugar does not provide tons of energy the consumption and “extraction by the body of the carbohydrate-based sugars, known as glucose” (“Carbohydrate Stores”) helps power the body. There have been attempts to find substitutes for sugar that are healthier and provide more nutritional benefits, but the substitutes usually only fall into one of the two categories. The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture states that some of the substitutes are either nutritional caloric substances, providing great amounts of energy or they are intense sweeteners that help with taste, but none of them can provide the benefits of both categories like sugar does. In Allen Carr’s book Good Sugar Bad Sugar, he shows that one main alternative is powdered fructose, but sometimes the nutrients leave an empty substance like refined sugar during the extracting process; however, another alternative are zero calorie sweeteners, but they can also have an adverse effect on the way people eat. Perhaps some people may think, if they are unable to find a substitute before the addiction begins they can find “an alternative that gives the sweetness of sugar without the calories… [but] this won’t cure the addition” (Carr 14.1) and will force them deeper into the trap. This goes without saying, although there may seem to be alternatives that can substitute for sugar, no substitute offers the same positives without harsher risks. Again, it is proven that sugar is not a safe substance when eaten in excess, showing that changes must be implemented immediately. 

The risks that come with overconsumption of sugar are well-known to many, but there is a misunderstanding of how intense the consequences are. Although consumers are aware of the risks that come with sugar consumption, the average person downplays sugar’s effect.  Many believe that it can only cause “sugar rushes” or that it doesn’t have any part in obesity. Those who are unaware often think sugar’s biggest harm is that it can rot their teeth, but little do they the danger of addiction that comes with this tasty treat. The roots of major health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and addictions stem from sugar itself. But, it is important to be aware that humans need a certain amount of sugar in their diet for energy, so sugar cannot be forgotten completely. The refining process that takes place on pure sugar adds processed carbohydrates and starchy carbohydrates making a clear difference between the two. The problem, that must be acted upon, is that the sugar which is used in almost all foods happens to be refined sugar. If there are not immediate changes done within the food industry, by either cutting down the amount of sugar in all foods or finding healthy alternatives, the effects on individuals’ health, rates of obesity, and sugar dependence rates will only continue to get worse.
