Should sugar be considered as harmful to our health as alcohol and cigarettes?
International scientists think so and are pushing for the sweetener to be regulated in
the same way as other addictive substances.
In an article published in science journal Nature, a long list of health impacts and healthcare costs are highlighted. The authors say these are caused by added sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup.
They say the responsibility lies in the hands of food producers and distributors to
reduce the amount of sugar added to food. But as long as sugar remains cheap
and addictive, it will continue to sell well, rendering little incentive for
companies to change.
The article says the authors call upon the US Food and Drug Administration to cease listing sugar as ‘generally regarded as safe’ which allows manufacturers to add as much sugar as they want to products. They also suggested authorities place a tax or impose other limitations on high sugar foods.
University of South Australia’s foundation chair of the Health Economics and Social Policy Group, Professor Leonie Segal, says the argument is timely as more evidence
surfaces around the negative health effects of sugar.
“The public health arguments for intervening are indeed strong, with perhaps the most important consideration, not highlighted by the authors, the imperative of governments to protect vulnerable members of society, especially where the capacity for well-informed decision making is limited or non-existent.
“Because eating habits and taste tend to be influenced by what we eat as infants and young children, an unhealthy habituation or addiction to sugar, which influences lifetime health, can be established from a very young age when the ability and capacity to make
informed eating choices are simply unavailable.”
She says this makes for a strong case for governments to intervene and encourage healthy food choices, by children and families.
“… And as the authors argue excess sugar is a crucial aspect of current poor food choices and thus an important focus of such policies.
“While at its extreme alcohol may have more damaging effects than sugar, excessive consumption of sugar is considerably more prevalent than excessive alcohol consumption, part of the reason why population level strategies make sense.”
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