Obesity Facts - Sugar
It
is generally now accepted as one of the obesity facts, that
the principle reason for the dramatic increase in obesity in the Western
world has been caused by our increased consumption of sugar. Simplistic
maybe, but you cannot argue with the figures. In the early 1800's the
average consumption of sugar was 12 lbs per person per year. By 1997 this
figure had risen to an average of 152 lbs per person per year, just in the
United States. Excessive sugar consumption causes insulin resistance which
in turn can lead to diabetes. Diabetes can significantly reduce life
expectancy as well as causing many other health problems, including loss of
eyesight and heart disease, amongst other things. Apart from causing
obesity, sugar also leads to long term skin damage, a process known as glycation. Sugar is sticky stuff to eat, and it is no different when
absorbed into the body's cell structure. Sugar molecules in the skin cells
stick to protein fibre and glue them together. The result is that the fibres
become stiff and brittle resulting in wrinkling and sagging. At the last
count there were 72 health issues which can be directly related to the
consumption of too much sugar. I won't list them here as you would
horrified, and we are only interested in weight loss, but trust me - they
are all serious.
Obesity Facts - The Facts About Sugar
Let me get back to my hobby horse of the food industry and the way it markets to us. Here is an astonishing obesity fact for you - foods with a traditionally 'healthy' appeal have up to twice the amount of sugar in them compared to 30 years ago - why? Because we have slowly become sugar addicts as the food industry loads yet more into it's products to encourage us to buy more. This has occurred across all food types ( whether 'healthy' or otherwise) and in foods targeted at all age groups, particularly children. Breakfast cereals, wholemeal bread and soups are chief among those foods which are significantly sweeter than they were only three decades ago. While the Government and health watchdogs have focused on encouraging people and food companies to cut down on the amount of salt the nation consumes, sugar levels have gone up almost unchecked by comparison. As usual the Government has the ability to focus on the wrong thing at the wrong time!
Just to prove my point let me give you a couple of obesity facts. A pack of Special K had 9.6g of sugar per 100g in 1978, yet by 2002 this had risen to 17g per 100g, almost double. When you last purchased a loaf of wholemeal you thought you were buying the healthy option ? WRONG - on the same basis, the sugar has increased from 2.1g to 2.8g in the same period.
Obesity Facts - 'Healthy' Foods & Sugar
Sugar is cheap to use, and the food industry has been quick to recognise that the sweeter things are the more we buy. An article in the British Medical Journal in 2005 claimed: 'Sugar is as dangerous as tobacco and, in terms of world health, far more important.' Is it any wonder then, that most of us find it so difficult to lose weight when we are being bombarded with the stuff every day. And don't think it is limited to processed foods which have even higher levels - it isn't. The same applies to fruit and vegetables - the major retailers now sell sweeter varieties in order to encourage us to buy more. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. Governments and food agencies are now starting to wake up to the immense problems of obesity that are being stored up in the system, with sugar being the primary cause, with everything from improved food labelling, to legislation to restrict the amounts, being discussed. According to a recent report - America is drowning in sugar with the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and dozens of leading health experts and organizations now petitioning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require that food labels declare how much sugar is added to soft drinks, ice cream, and other foods.
Obesity Facts - Daily Recommended Amounts
If we are drowning in sugar, as seems to be the case, how much should we be consuming on a daily basis. The answer is hard to find, but is certainly less than the average currently being consumed across the Western world. Figures vary, but in general someone with a relatively healthy diet, consumes approximately 18 teaspoons a day ( around 80 g) , whilst those on a 'normal' unhealthy diet probably consume around 34 spoons a day ( almost 130g) . Most experts agree that the maximum should be around 10g per day, so on average we are eating 10 to 14 times the recommended maximum, a serious obesity fact! What is even more worrying is that you probably have no idea of how much is in each product you buy. As an example, a fruit yoghurt ( seemingly the healthy desert) has 70% of your daily sugar - JUST ONE YOGHURT!!
Finally, you may not have realised it yet, but sugar is in virtually every product on the shelf - virtually nothing is free of sugar. Next time you shop, have a look at such inoffensive items as condiments, cold meats, sausages, yoghurts, bread, cheese, dairy products, sauces - the list is endless. If you are not shocked you should be - and by the way have a look at the so-called 'healthy' options - these are even worse as they compensate for the lack of fat with - guess what - SUGAR!! And the worst offender of all - teenage alcopop drinks - they are pure sugar and nothing else.
So in all this sea of sugar, how did I manage to achieve my weight loss after 40 years, and keep it off - very simply. Can you do the same? - the answer is yes, if you are prepared to make the effort and change your diet and the types of foods you eat, then you can succeed. I am living proof and have failed every time until now. So here is how I did it using the obesity facts explained over the last few pages.