We learned about the functions of sugar in food and how it affects different traits of food including but not limited to taste, texture, and shelf-stability.
Between 2017-2018, CDC found the average intake of added sugars for persons ages 2 to 19 years were 17-teaspoons per day (~408 calories); this average was the same for adults 20 years or older.
If we break the amount of added sugar consumed from food, studies show -
• The largest source of added sugar consumption comes from sugar-sweetened beverages such as juice, soda pop, energy drinks, and coffee
• Breakfast cereals contributes < 5% of added sugars to American diets; however, in 2014 it was found to be the fifth highest source of added sugars in diets of children under 8 years.
• Dietary cholesterol was thought to be the perpetrator of high triglyceride levels; however, added sugars is the largest contributor to high triglyceride levels. Liver converts excess sugar into triglycerides via lipogenesis.
Answer the following questions; there are no right or wrong answers here -
1. Should added sugars be regulated in our food supply? If so, what are some ideas to regulate added sugars?
2. Who should be responsible for the cost of care to treat chronic disease due to complications associated from consuming too much added sugar? Is it the consumers, the food industry, or both?
3. Are there benefits of foods with added sugars for specific populations or disease states?
Ideas for Regulation:
Sugar Taxes (Excise Taxes): Impose a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) or high-sugar packaged foods.
Goal: Discourage consumption (via higher prices) and generate revenue that could subsidize healthier foods or fund public health programs.
Mandatory Front-of-Package Labeling: Require clear, prominent warnings or symbols on products that exceed a certain threshold of added sugar (similar to tobacco warnings).
Goal: Provide consumers with immediate, easily understandable information to promote informed choice.
Marketing Restrictions: Prohibit or severely restrict the advertising of high-sugar products, especially those aimed at children (e.g., banning advertisements on children's programming).
Reformulation Mandates: Set limits on the maximum amount of added sugar permitted in specific food categories, especially those marketed to children (e.g., breakfast cereals, yogurts).
School and Public Facility Bans: Prohibit the sale of SSBs and certain high-sugar snacks in schools, government buildings, and hospitals.
Argument Against Regulation (No)
Opponents argue that regulating sugar is paternalistic, infringes on consumer liberty, and interferes with the free market.
Alternative: Focus solely on education to promote personal responsibility and informed choices without restricting product availability or consumer access.
Sample Answer
These are complex, open-ended questions concerning public health, policy, and economics. Here are conceptual answers addressing the different viewpoints and factors for each question.
1. Should Added Sugars Be Regulated in Our Food Supply?
Whether added sugars should be regulated is a matter of debate between public health intervention and individual freedom/market choice.
Argument for Regulation (Yes)
Proponents argue that government intervention is justified because the current high intake of added sugars creates a massive negative externality (chronic disease and healthcare costs) that society bears. Regulation would correct market failures where companies profit from selling highly addictive, unhealthy products.