Humans are physiologically hardwired to like and hunt down sweet things. It’s an ancient survival mechanism that evolved to organize our bodies for periods of fasting when food supplies were scarce.
Like nicotine, alcohol and other drugs, sugar prompts the reward system in our brains, leading to the discharge of the neurotransmitter dopamine. It feels good, so we wish to do it again.
It can even give us solace once we’re down and may alleviate stress, because the dopamine hit counters cortisol, a stress hormone which is released during anxious times.
The problem is, the more sugar we ingest, the more we want to make us feel good. It’s a vicious cycle that’s hard to interrupt.
Excessive and sustained sugar consumption increases the danger of developing type 2 diabetes, a metabolic disorder where the body can’t maintain healthy levels of glucose (sugar) within the blood.
Globally, the variety of adults with type 2 diabetes, which is expounded to food plan and lifestyle, has quadrupled over the past 40 years. In 2017-18, a million Australians had type 2 diabetes and lots of more were at risk of developing the condition.
It’s not unimaginable to chop down on sugar. Some strategies require change on a private level, while others should be taken on by industry and governments.
Personal strategies
At the private level, it’s a matter of slowly winding down our addiction. Going cold turkey can be incredibly difficult, given 75% of our food and drinks have added sugar.
I began omitting the plain products loaded with sugar – soft drinks, fruit juices, dried fruit, chocolate, candy, ice cream, cakes and sweet biscuits. I finished sprinkling sugar on my cereal and stirring it into my tea and occasional.
Even these easy strategies gave me withdrawal symptoms akin to irritability, headache, sluggish thoughts, and fatigue, which began on the very first day. These symptoms and the cravings were unpleasant but only lasted three days.
Progressing to the following level might include cutting out commercially produced foods that contain excessive amounts of added sugar akin to jams, condiments, and most breakfast cereals.
It may also mean cutting out or down on heavily processed products that contain refined carbohydrates akin to white flour (white bread, pastries and pasta), white rice, and white potatoes (especially fries and crisps). Such carbs are broken all the way down to glucose within the gut, and are really just one other type of sugar consumption.
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It helps to pay attention to the times we’re consuming sugar out of habit, akin to eating a bag of sugary treats at the films or a block of chocolate in front of the TV, or using sugar as a reward for a job well done.
It’s also vital to pay attention to those times once we’re using sugar to make us feel higher or alleviate stress. The brain doesn’t care where it gets its feel-good chemicals from, so try going for a walk, run or cycle, take heed to your favourite music playlist, or try doing an excellent deed as a substitute.
Government response
From a public health perspective, the federal government must play a pivotal role in helping Australians cut down on sugar.
Strategies at the federal government level must be geared toward accessibility, addition and promoting.
Making sweet products less obvious and accessible in supermarkets, delicatessens, post offices and repair stations can be an excellent start. Moving them away from check-out counters means those reflex purchases are less prone to occur.
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Second, we want a levy (or a tax) on products containing high levels of added sugar, particularly on sugar-sweetened drinks. There is robust evidence a tax on such drinks would cut back consumption and end in a decline in type 2 diabetes.
Third, a more transparent system for labelling of the added sugar content of products must be implemented. The current health star rating system is barely voluntary and is in need of reform.
Fourth, promoting time and space for sugary products must be restricted, as we’ve done for cigarettes, starting with ads targeting children on TV and social media.
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Fifth, powerful and hard-hitting awareness campaigns must be introduced, as we’ve done for cigarettes. Who could forget those graphic TV adds of tar being poured over lungs or fat being squeezed out of an artery?
Finally, we want a multi-disciplinary think tank to boost awareness in regards to the health dangers of sugar. Such a body could engage endocrinologists (medical doctors who treat diabetes), public health physicians, neuroscientists, nutritionists, marketers, PR experts, and government representatives to deliver clear and united messages.
The sugar industry and the food and beverage industries will have to be included in discussions about reform, but we are able to’t let industrial interests stop us from acting.
Type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic and certainly one of the nation’s biggest health challenges. It’s time for Australia to declare war on type 2 diabetes.