The Pros And Cons Of Sugar Consumption

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With each passing decade, there has been an increase in sugar consumption among the United States population. According to the United States Department of Agriculture(USDA), the average American consumes between 150 to 170 pounds per year, which is around one-fourth to half a pound per day. For comparison, during the early 1800s the average American only consumed about 4-6 pounds per year. Our sweet tooth has since grown and so has our collective waistline. Scientists have directly linked sugar to obesity, and today, one third of US adults are categorized as obese and a formidable one out of five premature deaths in the United States are due to obesity. But for some reason the food industry and the government aren’t doing enough to stop this epidemic. Could it be that the food industry is knowingly profiting from a product that is killing us? …show more content…

The current average count of intake is at 30 teaspoons of sugar per day; that’s more than three times the recommended amount. To better put this into perspective, here’s an example using sugar, soda and math. An average 12-ounce can of soda contains about 40g of added sugar, that’s about 8 percent of a pound, thirteen cans of soda translate to about a pound of added sugar. Many people drink a can of soda daily, and combine that with the rest of the food that we eat which also contains added sugars, and you start to see where the 150-170 pounds come

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