To think sugar is slowly killing us?

[Notcontent]

Ok, that may sound dramatic, but this is something I have been thinking about a lot...

The fact is that most of us are getting fetter. And I think it’s pretty easy to see why, but we are all in denial about it. Redently I have seen threads where people discuss their own typical diet or the diet of their DC, and lots of people will say “oh, that sounds really healthy”, “children need the extra calories”, etc. But the fact is that most people are losing sight of what normal food is and ar drinking and eating huge quantities of sugar without realising it.

Except, we don't seem to be having any more sugar than 100 years ago, and certainly not substantially more.

I agree that there are issues with foods that you don't expect to have sugar. And some things do taste horribly sweet (crisps being one that I just don't get why they would need sugar).

@whatsthecomingoverthehill that's what I believe. I love eating cinnamon buns and chocolate and ice cream but I know they're sweets and a treat. We don't eat processed food precisely because you know how much hidden shit is inside them. I know how to fix a sauce that's too much salt in it and the idea that that's exactly what's being done to processed food to enhance the taste just gives me shivers.
I was looking at a group photo a friend from the US posted on FB. Around 20 people and only two or three were normal weight, the rest weren't even overweight but straight obese. When did this become the new norm?

I actually think the stuff they put in diet drinks and cordial is slowing killing us. Give me sugar any day over that

I couldn't give a fuck. Something is going to have to kill me.

I don't think it's only what it's doing to our bodies now but also the potential long term effects of sugar.

We have a dementia epidemic looming and I think we need to be more aware of how processed sugars effect brain functioning.

You know people now live longer than ever before right? Sugar isn't great in large quantities but nothing is! The availability of food and our more sedentary lifestyles are why we are fatter. I've never eaten much sugar but I'm still fat! Anyway I'm not going to get obsessed with the whole thing. I'd rather enjoy my life and try to be moderate in everything.

It's lack of exercise. My kids eat way too much sugar, but they are both stick thin. They both walk to school over a mile for both of them and they are active throughout the day.
I wear a fitbit and have consistently lost weight when I eat 1800 calories a day AND walk 1500 steps. I eat sugar.
I also cook most meals from scratch, avoid ready made sauces which are loaded with sugar and calories.
The only "ready meals" I eat are frozen pizza and the occasional ready meal for tea in work.
We very rarely eat out as I don't think the quality of food in the "pub restaraunt" chains is good enough to pay for.

I think artificial sweeteners are more likely to have negative effects on people's health.

In my mind, with no scientific evidence to back it up, so feel free to ignore this post:

I think people are getting fatter because they're constantly eating or drinking.
7am: They get up, have healthy breakfast and healthy smoothie.
8am: they get a huge coffee from Costa and have a breakfast bar on the bus.
9.30am: a coffee from work kitchen and banana
10.30: grapes and a coffee
12.00: carrot sticks, coffee and a biscuit
1pm: off for a light lunch with colleagues.
2pm: coffee and chocolate bar
4.pm quick coffee before home
5.30: healthy evening meal
7.00: half a tube of pringles, glass of red wine
9: more wine and half a bar of chocolate
11pm nibble little nuts and bits from fridge before they go to bed.

^ was someone's diet that I lived with (TBF the bits at work was what they put on their diet diary they kept cause they couldn't figure out why they were gaining weight)
I've also seen colleagues I work with that constantly nibble and drink tea or coffee.
Coupled with endless healthy smoothly and flavoured waters and Costa coffees and before long there's a constant intake of calories with no time to burn them.

I've never fucked bread cheese or jam, how is this possible?????

I think snacking is one of the big things
driving obesity. I think eating patterns have changed and snack foods is a very lucrative industry. There has been a lot of focus on "what" and less on "when".

There is increasing scientific evidence to back your idea up @KlutzyDraconequus. Lots more fasting type diets around this last few years too.

I snack and I'm slim

Ok.

I think it's processed food more generally. I think there's lots in there our bodies doesn't know what to do with.

However consuming sugar in large quantities is an extremely recent development in human history (300 years or so, with the mass cultivation of sugar cane). Before people would have eaten much smaller quantities in fruit and honey.

It makes logical sense that our bodies were not built / evolved to eat sugar in the quantities we do today.

I don’t think sugar is evil. I think everything in moderation is fine.

I do think people have become lazier. Physically anyway. People drive everywhere, never walk unless they have to, and spend hours at their desks each day. My husband works in an office and people who live on the same road as us - and are in good health- drive the 15 mins to work and then drive home again after sitting at a desk for 6 hours or so. (Husband walks there and back). None of these people go to the gym and weekends are spent drinking and fairly inactive. It’s a ticking time bomb health wise. I would imagine most other workplaces are fairly similar.

People have stressful lives, of course we do. And not everyone enjoys exercise or is able to, but if you can you need to and should do. Even if it’s just a brisk walk everyday. Active 10 app is brilliant for this - most people don’t walk fast enough to have any impact on their health even if they think they do.

A year ago I was diagnosed with a life threatening - but treatable- illness and began treatment and part of the recovery for me has been to completely overhaul my approach to my health. I now eat a bit of everything but nothing to excess, and I do high intensity dance cardio 3-4 times a week and lots of brisk walking. If someone had told me that a year ago I would have laughed in their face. I was the kid who would pull a sickie every time it was sports day as I hated it so much.

The odd bit of sugar never killed anyone but it’s the combination of processed foods ALL the time or very often and not moving enough that is having such an affect on health.

I worry more about saccharin and artificial sweeteners than sugar.

Also, I really like sugar the sugar tax has ruined so many things I don’t drink regularly but consider an occasional treat - san pelligrino, Irn bru

"this is something I have been thinking about a lot"

Have you tried picking up a hobby? A new sport? Music? Read a book?

If you don't want to eat sugar, just don't.

It's an odd thing to obsess about.

People ate cake and jam and potatoes blah de blah in the past all bad for us how far back would you like to go so we can all die a healthy natural death

Hahaha, heaven forfend anyone think about anything!

Not really. Portion sizes are the problem, and the amount of processed food we eat. Sugar itself, particularly in its natural form, is fine. Don’t worry about fruit. Recently I saw a program where banana cake was made was banana skins, not the flesh of the banana, and that nasty processed brown rice syrup as a sweetener. Simply because of fear of sugar

"I think it is a form of poison."

Do you even know what sugar is?

Your body changes everything you eat into sugar.

It's not poison.

No it's not addictive, either. Those brain activity pics you saw just mean that both cocaine and sugar tap the pleasure centre of the brain.

Oh vomit @ banana skin cake.

If you think you ‘gave up’ sugar, you probably didn’t. It’s in most things inc processed meals, sauces, dried fruit, juice etc. Or maybe you didn’t have much to begin with but it’s scary how much you can consume without realising (and sweeteners are just grim). White bread etc is as bad for your system as eating a sugary cake btw too!!
I know all this and still consume these things in moderation but I’m aware that if I eat too much of it my stomach protests so I have to be reasonably careful. It needs its veg and fibre!
You may not put on the visible weight from eating it if your general calorie consumption is low, or you’re active, but it’ll show in your teeth and general health - if not now then further down the line.

i’d say lack of exercise and too much alcohol is more of a problem.

i dont drink and i exercise, so having some chocolate with my cup of tea isnt going to harm me.

coming home from work and sitting on the sofa with a bottle of wine 4 x a week is worse IMO.