...putting a tax on sugary food and drinks, and regulating the amount of sugar that can be used in a product. Problem Americans diets are too heavy in sugar, resulting in many health problems. Many Americans do not know the harmful effects sugar has on the body. The average American consumes nearly 66 pounds of added sugar each year, and about 19.5 teaspoons every day ("How Much Is Too Much?”). The problem with sugar is a large part in the obesity epidemic that America faces. Causes The reasons Americans have too much sugar in their diets because of added sugars in products, drinking soda, and due to lack of education about the dangers of sugar. Although all sugars are not bad, such as natural sugars in fruits, added sugars add calories and no nutrients to food. Food companies are not required to list the amount of added sugar on a foods...
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...Reducing Sugar Consumption Introduction: From large sugar cane fields to acres of beets, sugar is processed into a million dollar industry that satisfies the world’s sweet tooth. However, market failure exists among our society and health. As a public health regulator, I am tracking policies that attempt to reduce America’s sugar consumption in response to the dramatic rise in obesity over the last thirty years. The first target is adults and the sugar beverage industry, particularly, the consumption of regular sodas. I will detail four specific policy proposals that the government should consider on the sale of regular soda: taxes, subsidies, provisions and restrictions. In various outcomes, each policy could provide incentive for individuals toward a healthier lifestyle. Sugar is on the road to becoming America’s next controlled substance. Background: The United States is currently in a dangerous cycle of sugar consumption and disease with nearly two out of every three adults categorized as overweight or obese.(Figure 1,2) Among those characterized, their bodies were given a surplus in calories without an equal response of physical activity. Obesity restricts productivity, lower one’s quality of life, and reduces life expectancy. The excess body fat results in significant health problems such as an increased risk of developing high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, depression and even orthopedic problems. Additionally, the society bears the bulk of the costs associated...
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...Do you ever wonder how sugar became so popular? The sugar market didn’t just become popular overnight. It went through a series of ups and downs. The sugar trade first started around 1655 and ended around 1833. In the last decades of the century, four-fifths of sugar came from British and French colonies. Many factors contributed to why sugar grew to be what it is today. Some of the factors are high consumer demand, warm climate and work being completed by slaves. Consumer demand drove the Sugar Trade because the high demand. Document 3a and 3b both explain that after sugar was delivered to the wealthy, the kids would lick the sugar out of the barrel. In document 3b it says “the increased consumption of sugar, and increasing demand for it, exceed all comparison with any other article, used as an auxiliary, in food.” This shows that the people and kids really enjoyed the sugar; therefore, the demand and popularity of sugar increased. The document also states that sugar was used in other popular foods, which increased popularity tremendously. Document 5 shows the amount of sugar coming in (British sugar imports) and the amount of sugar eaten per person (annual per capita consumption). This shows...
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...When you go out to lunch or dinner what do most of America get to drink? Soda! A fizzling bubbly drink which is well known all around the world for its great taste. The only thing wrong with soda is that it is filled with carbs, calories, and most importantly sugar. Soda has caused many people to go obese and can cause some serious health issues including diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Soda is very bad for everyone because of the high amounts of sugar, carbs, and sodium which is causing obesity. A way to prevent the consumption of soda is to put a tax on the bubbly beverage itself. If the cost went up 10% then not many people would buy it because of the price increase. “Currently, 33 states have sales taxes on soft drinks (mean tax rate, 5.2%)” (A Soda Tax Would Help Reduce Obesity). Yes, there is a tax on soft drinks in a lot of states in the U.S. but it’s not enough for people to stop purchasing these soft drinks. A way to prevent people to stop the purchase of these products is to increase the tax from 5.2% to at least 10% because they would feel that it would be too expensive so they would get a water or lemonade instead....
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...The articles “New World, New Foods,” by Tom Standage, “America, Found and Lost,” by Charles C. Mann, and “Food Assimilation and the Malleability of the Human Body in Early Virginia” all examine how the pre and post Columbian exchange have affected and continue to do so in nations across the globe today. The effects of the Columbian exchange were so widespread that, “the exchange and redistribution of food crops… redefined the demographics of the Americas, Africa, and Europe…” as Standage argues throughout his article “New World, New Foods” (Standage 112). He begins his argument by chronicling the journey of two specific crops as they spread between the Old and New worlds. Sugar is one example; it became a staple across the world and played...
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...Affects on Obesity & Disease Are high glycemic diets a cause of obesity and disease in America today? Obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease are at an all time high in the United States; studies link a high glycemic diet with obesity and chronic disease. The Worldwide Health Organization (WHO) reports that there are more than 1 billion overweight adults globally” (WHO, 2010). According to a 2005-2006 CDC study of the United States population, 34% of adults are obese. In addition, the International Diabetes Federation announced in 2006 that diabetes is becoming the epidemic of the 21st century with 246 million people affected worldwide (Lefebvre, 2006). Diabetes currently affects 23.5 million adults and 2 million adolescents in the United States with 1.6 million new cases diagnosed each year (American Diabetes Association, 2007). The WHO also reports that heart disease is the top cause of death in the world and in high-income countries like the United States (WHO, 2004). In 2006 the American Heart Association estimated that 81,100,000 million people in the United States have some form of Heart Disease (American Heart Association, 2006). Despite the fact that high glycemic foods do not affect all people the same way, high glycemic diets are killing Americans because they increase the risk of obesity and disease. High glycemic diets are prevalent in America today. Due to the rise of coronary heart disease in the 1970’s and 1980’s, the USDA...
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...Food is one of life’s main essentials to sustain viability. The ongoing growth, maintenance and repair of the body depends deeply on the energy and nutrients supplied to the body through foods. The nutrients that food delivers to the human body is an amazingly, dynamic process that keeps people alive and well. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that over 25 million people in America have diabetes; 215,000 of those are children and over 69 percent of all Americans are overweight and obese. This includes childhood obesity, which has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. There is also the deadly threat of food intolerances, which according to the CDC, has increased approximately 50 percent between 1997 and 2011. That means 1 in every 13 children under the age of 18 have a food allergy, according to statistics. These diseases cause many complications and are responsible for a reduced quality of life. These startling statistics reveal that Americans, especially children, are not getting the proper nutrients their body needs. America has taken technological innovations in food production to the next level and has an abundant food supply. So why are so many Americans sick with food related diseases? Taking a closer look at America’s diet holds the answer. A typical American diet consists of 70 percent processed foods. This includes packaged foods, fast foods, and foods that could not be prepared with simple ingredients...
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...years of age. There have been various laws/bans put in place such as the New York City ban of soft drinks that are larger than 16 oz. In the article “Your Favorite Drinks Can Wreck Your Body” by Russ Lloyd, he talks about how more and more states are putting restrictions/bans on sugary drinks do to the dangerous effects they have on people. Although some say sugary drinks aren’t so bad, in “Let us enjoy our sweet drinks in piece” by Evan Cook, he describes just that, however, sugary drinks are extremely dangerous because they can lead to deadly illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity, and are also extremely addictive, and are the leading cause of obesity and diabetes in America today....
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...Worldwide Consumption The Top Chocolate Loving Nations are (lbs/yr): 1. Switzerland 22.36 2. Austria 20.13 3. Ireland 19.47 4. Germany 18.04 5. Norway 17.93 Chocolate Consumption Distribution Worldwide Not all countries are able to enjoy the sweet taste of chocolate equally. There is a profound dichotomy between those nations that extract the raw materials and those who indulge in the finished product. As it is shown in the maps available, all but one of the top twenty countries that consume chocolate are considered 'well-developed' or 'advanced'. Brazil is the only country involved on the list that actually considers chocolate to be a natural resource. The reality exists that the processing and consumption of chocolate products is Western World dominated. 70% of the worldwide profit from chocolate sales is concentrated in these countries. 80% of the world chocolate market is accounted for by just six transnational companies, including Nestle, Mars and Cadbury. Europeans alone consume around 40% of the world's cocoa per year, 85% of which is imported from West Africa. There have recently been efforts to initiate a fair-trade movement, which would encourage the purchase of cocoa from developing country producers at a fair price. However, tariff escalation continues to me a major problem, which acts to drive chocolate comsumers and cocoa exporters further apart. Quick Chocolate Facts -16 of the top 20 consuming countries are European -in 2001...
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...The articles “New World, New Foods,” by Tom Standage, “America, Found and Lost,” by Charles C. Mann, and “Food Assimilation and the Malleability of the Human Body in Early Virginia” all examine how the pre and post Columbian exchange have affected and continue to influence nations today. The effects of the Columbian exchange were so widespread that, it “… redefined the demographics of the Americas, Africa, and Europe…” as Standage argues throughout his article “New World, New Foods” (Standage 112). He begins his argument by chronicling the journey of two specific crops as they spread between the Old and New worlds. Sugar is one example; it became a staple across the world and played an integral part of two major trade triangles. The first included commodities from America including sugar, which was then traded for cloth, and was then traded for slaves that would produce sugar. The second included molasses which was used to produce rum and was then sold for slaves who produced the rum and sugar. Therefore, the cultivation of sugar forever changed the demographics of the Americas and Africa economically....
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...surplus of sugar cane, the government implemented policies to encourage ethanol production and consumption beginning in the 1970s. The world's largest oil discoveries in recent years have come from Brazil's offshore, presalt basins. Brazil has the third-largest electricity sector in the Americas, behind the United States and Canada. Brazil is currently experiencing its worst drought in 40 years, which has contributed to electricity blackouts in many Brazilian regions. Brazil has spent more than $5 billion to subsidize electric utilities replacing lost hydroelectric generation with fossil fuel-fired generation, including large amounts of liquefied natural gas. (which is shown in the graph in the recent increase in fossil fuels) Brazil was the largest producer of petroleum and other liquids in South America in 2013. Brazil is the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world, trailing only China, and the country depends on hydroelectricity for more than 75% of its electric power supply. (shown in the graph below. Brazil is the 8th largest total energy consumer and 10th largest producer in the world. To address the country's dependence on oil imports and surplus of sugar cane, the government implemented policies to encourage ethanol production and consumption beginning in the 1970s. The world's largest oil discoveries in recent years have come from Brazil's offshore, presalt basins. Brazil has the third-largest electricity sector in the Americas, behind the...
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...of Obesity in America Nutri, Health & Wellness Professor Date: Week 2: Fructose and the increased amount of Obesity in America Introduction This paper will be discussing the popular sweetener: fructose. Fructose’s History Fructose is known to be found specifically in plants abundantly. It contains a six carbon sugar that goes by the name of hexose. It also possesses glucose which is known as a common table sugar. Fructose By taking a look at Figure 1 listed above, we are able to see how fructose is structured. Now in Figure 2 we are able to see the role that Fructose plays in fruits and vegetables Figure 2: The amount of Fructose that is found in some of our favorite fruits and veggies Fructose was first discovered in 1847 by French chemist Augustin-Pierre Dubrunfaut. Fructoses function in high fructose corn syrup was also a very important discovery. Fructose was first used in high fructose corn syrup in 1977. [1]. For those that are unaware, Fructose is found a big amount of plants and is listed as a monosaccharide. Fructose is a part of the three dietary monosaccharides that include galactose and glucose which are typically absorbed during digestion into the bloodstream. Fructose is found in berries, most root vegetables, honey, flowers, fruits and vine fruits. Fructose is typically taken from sugar beets, corn...
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...Developing Healthier Soft Drink Ingredients INTRODUCTION The consumption of soft drinks has become a major health issue for humans. As obesity is on the rise, soft drinks have become a contributing factor. Indeed, there are healthier substitutions for soft drinks but major companies such as Coca Cola have the opportunity to make them healthier and continue receiving profits from its products. There is always going to be a demand for soft drinks and developing healthier ingredients in them will only increase the demand. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM With the obesity rate rising and the demand for soda high, the need for healthier ingredients is imperative. There is a way to research available substitutes for the unhealthy ingredients and develop a soft drink that will not be a contributing factor to the obesity rate. PROPOSED SOLUTION One possible healthier substitute for soft drink ingredients is the natural sugar, stevia. Derived from a plant, stevia is a natural sweetener that does not add calories. It also is 200 times sweeter than sugar in the same concentration. Studies also show that stevia does more than sweeten foods and drinks; it also may induce other health benefits. Using stevia in place of sugars would lower the unhealthy content in soft drinks and also appeal to the soda market. SCOPE To assess the advantage of using stevia in place of sugar, I plan to assess three areas of inquiry: 1. What sugar products are currently being used in the production of soft...
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...salad dressing, breads, fruits and vegetables, and many processed snacks what is the common dominator for the following popular American food items? They’re all foods that contain a sizeable amount of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)! HFCS is syrup from cornstarch that’s turned into Americas most popular and cheap sweetener for many food products. Starting a few years ago a slew of ad campaigns against and for HFCS invaded American television broadcasting. I was not aware of the positives of the negatives of high fructose corn syrup, and honestly didn’t even know what it was. The advertisements started my line of questioning. After reading part on of The Omnivore’s Dilemma my position on the topic of HFCS is beneficial because the production of the product allows for the development of low cost food items, due to the American government subsidies to corn production. HFCS also allows for the productions of a variety of many low cost food products, which sustain American farmers business with the use of subsidizes. Although many argue HFCS is less health than other types of sweeteners that cost more to produce, research has shown that high fructose corn syrup is chemically similar to table sugar. (Insert Cite) High fructose corn syrup is created when the “molecular composition of glucose and convert it to fructose” (oukosher., 2012). Essentially it’s a process that combines one glucose molecule with one fructose molecule that is fixed with fructose, and to add more “sweetness”...
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...of nutrition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1957 23. Willet WC, Sacks F, Tricopoulou A, et al. Mediterranean diet pyramid: a cultural model for healthy eating. Am J Clin Nutr 1995;61(suppl):1402S Nutrition Transition and Global Dietary Trends Adam Drewnowski, PhD From the Departments of Epidemiology and Medicine and the Nutritional Sciences Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA Poverty and wealth have profound effects on the global diet. Whereas chronic undernutrition results from poverty, economic growth gives rise to what has been called the nutrition transition.1,2 As incomes rise and populations become more urban, diets high in complex carbohydrates and fiber give way to more energydense diets that are higher in sugar and fats.1,2 These global dietary trends are accompanied by a demographic transition that is a shift...
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