Sugar is a simple form of carbohydrates, often used as sweeteners and preservatives. This source of energy is stored as insoluble starch or glycogen which converts quickly back into glucose.
In recent years sugar can be 'hidden' in many foods that we don't imagine they contain. For example ketchup, cereals, fruit juices and even diet foods. Because of this many people have a high level of sugar in their diet, making them at risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and so on. Sugar that is used every day in our diet has been warned by some that it can be as dangerous as tobacco and alcohol.
It can therefore be said that the increase of sugar in our diet is because of the food industry. When selling a diet food, we instantly imagine it to be low in calories and fat so that we can lose weight. Some slimming products even contain more sugar than normal (non-diet) foods, for example, a normal lasagne from Waitrose has only 3.28g, whereas a diet meal like Weight Watchers Lasagne has 5.2g of sugar. This is significantly more.
By tricking customers into thinking that they are buying something healthy, while disguising the fact that there is a good deal of glucose, fructose, and other types of this form of energy inside, it is understandable that we eat allot of sugar.
However the intake of sugar in our daily diet not only is relied on by food companies, but also us. Instead of buying pre-made foods at the supermarket, homemade food is better as we are aware of the ingredients, especially the levels of sugar inside. The risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes can be drastically reduced if we spend more time making our own food.
In conclusion, the high levels of sugar in our diet in the 21st century are because of the food industry but to a certain extent. It is our choice to put these foods and drinks in our mouths, and so the amount of sugar consumed is our responsibility.
In recent years sugar can be 'hidden' in many foods that we don't imagine they contain. For example ketchup, cereals, fruit juices and even diet foods. Because of this many people have a high level of sugar in their diet, making them at risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and so on. Sugar that is used every day in our diet has been warned by some that it can be as dangerous as tobacco and alcohol.
It can therefore be said that the increase of sugar in our diet is because of the food industry. When selling a diet food, we instantly imagine it to be low in calories and fat so that we can lose weight. Some slimming products even contain more sugar than normal (non-diet) foods, for example, a normal lasagne from Waitrose has only 3.28g, whereas a diet meal like Weight Watchers Lasagne has 5.2g of sugar. This is significantly more.
By tricking customers into thinking that they are buying something healthy, while disguising the fact that there is a good deal of glucose, fructose, and other types of this form of energy inside, it is understandable that we eat allot of sugar.
However the intake of sugar in our daily diet not only is relied on by food companies, but also us. Instead of buying pre-made foods at the supermarket, homemade food is better as we are aware of the ingredients, especially the levels of sugar inside. The risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes can be drastically reduced if we spend more time making our own food.
In conclusion, the high levels of sugar in our diet in the 21st century are because of the food industry but to a certain extent. It is our choice to put these foods and drinks in our mouths, and so the amount of sugar consumed is our responsibility.