For years, we’ve been warned about the dangers of eating too much fat or too much salt. Most people try to be aware of this when shopping for groceries. They automatically get “low-fat” or “low-salt” versions of the foods they choose to buy. However, obesity continues to increase at an alarming rate, as do the diseases it causes. That can only mean one thing. But those warnings aren’t being taken seriously, and there’s no recommended sugar limit on Canadian food labels, despite research now showing that sugar may be to blame for making us fatter and sicker.
In this episode, Gillian Findlay unveils research that reveals the startling truth about sugar that the sugar industry has been hiding from consumers. Research shows that the average Canadian consumes 26 teaspoons of sugar per person per day. That’s 40 kilograms per year, equivalent to 20 sacks. Sugar sweetens products and boosts the profits of some of the world’s most famous and powerful companies. Sugar is the basic ingredient in 99% of processed foods. This is because it makes the product more attractive and palatable. To create a better-selling food, they simply add more sugar.
The dangerous part is that most of the sugar we eat is hidden in foods that we don’t necessarily find sweet. Foods such as spices, soups and sausages contain high amounts of sugar. Could this hidden ingredient be the reason our waistlines are growing?
Pediatric endocrinologist Robert Lustig said that if we were to decide between fat and sugar, which was worst, we would have to conclude that sugar was a thousand times worse. He went on to say that over the past 30 years, our food supply has changed and corrupted under our noses and in front of everyone. Fat goes down, sugar goes up, and we all get sick.
Watch this episode of The Fifth Estate now. Your health can only depend on it.
