FactCheck: is sugar really bad for you?
Back to Topic
Click to Print
Useful Websites
Glossary Term Selection
The claim
‘It’s calories that count when it comes to weight loss, not uniquely calories from sugar.’
American Beverage Association statement
The background
Sugar is becoming the big dietary villain of our times.
We used to think it was saturated fat that made us fat. But fat consumption fell and we carried on getting more obese and unwell.
All those low-fat products on the supermarket shelves just happen to be full of added sugar.
A swelling chorus of doctors and dieticians are now warning that the white stuff is the real culprit, leading to higher rates of diabetes and other illness as well as expanding waistlines.
Last week the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended people halve their sugar intake.
Is this just another fad that will be replaced by another dietary bogeyman, or is it really time to yank out our sweet tooth?
The analysis
The food industry is at war with a very vocal group of campaigners on the issue of whether we should restrict or tax sugary foods.
...Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites
