Obesity Facts - Daily Recommended Amounts

If we are drowning in sugar, as seems to be the case, how much should we be consuming on a daily basis. The answer is hard to find, but is certainly less than the average currently being consumed across the Western world. Figures vary, but in general someone with a relatively healthy diet, consumes approximately 18 teaspoons a day ( around 80 g) , Read the rest of this entry »

Obesity Facts - ‘Healthy’ Foods & Sugar
Sugar is cheap to use, and the food industry has been quick to recognise that the sweeter things are the more we buy. An article in the British Medical Journal in 2005 claimed: ‘Sugar is as dangerous as tobacco and, in terms of world health, far more important.’ Is it any wonder then, that most of us find it so difficult to lose weight when we are being bombarded with the stuff every day. And don’t think it is limited to processed foods which have even higher levels - it isn’t. The same applies to fruit and vegetables - the major retailers now sell sweeter varieties in order to encourage us to buy more. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the picture. Governments and food agencies are now starting to wake up to the immense problems of obesity that are being stored up in the system, with sugar being the primary cause, with everything from improved food labelling, to legislation to restrict the amounts, being discussed. According to a recent report - America is drowning in sugar with the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and dozens of leading health experts and organizations now petitioning the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require that food labels declare how much sugar is added to soft drinks, ice cream, and other foods.

Obesity Facts - The Facts About Sugar

Let me get back to my hobby horse of the food industry and the way it markets to us. Here is an astonishing obesity fact for you - foods with a traditionally ‘healthy’ appeal have up to twice the amount of sugar in them compared to 30 years ago - why? Because we have slowly become sugar addicts as the food industry loads yet more into it’s products Read the rest of this entry »

Obesity Facts - Sugar

It is generally now accepted as one of the obesity facts, that the principle reason for the dramatic increase in obesity in the Western world has been caused by our increased consumption of sugar. Simplistic maybe, but you cannot argue with the figures. In the early 1800’s the average consumption of sugar was 12 lbs per person per year. By 1997 this figure had risen to an average of 152 lbs per person per year, just in the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

Obesity Facts - The Insulin Index

The Insulin Index is a measure used to quantify the typical insulin response to various foods. The index is similar to the GI, but rather than relying on blood glucose levels, it is based on blood insulin levels. This measure is far more useful to us than the GI, because certain foods such as lean meats and proteins can cause an insulin response despite there Read the rest of this entry »