by: Tori Schubert
People Editor

Most people don’t hesitate to indulge in a sweet treat or sugary drink every once and a while, taking advantage of the feeling the sugar rush provides. As sugar content in foods is on the rise, daily intakes of sugar are increasing, having negative effects on health and wellbeing. Society needs to have access to health risks from different products, and educate children and teens on the effects of high sugar consumption.

Sugar is an essential substance for your body’s daily functioning, known for its benefits to the brain and dopamine levels. However, when consumed beyond the appropriate amount, it can have drastic effects on mental health, heart function, and blood pressure. With many high schoolers indulging in a daily Starbucks, or processed snacks and drinks, high sugar intakes have become ingrained into daily routines. As sugar possesses high addictive qualities, people begin to rely on sugar for a dopamine boost, unaware of their growing dependence on the substance. The American Heart Association recommends a limit of about six teaspoons of sugar per day. However, the average American consumes about 17 teaspoons of sugar.

As sugar content increased from 1970 to the 2000s, the spike in daily consumption became normalized in American culture, but as sugar intake increases, so do its downsides. Higher sugar consumption has been found to have direct correlation with cardiovascular deaths. Consumption of added sugars can increase blood pressure and inflammation, both of which commonly result in heart disease. Additionally, these added sugars are no longer found in just processed snacks and drinks, but in nearly every product we consume, greatly contributing to the increasing health risks and addiction.

Although the increase in sugar content has been normalized and accepted over the years, the only realistic way to decrease the risks of heart disease and diabetes is to further address the need for lower daily consumption. It’s no secret that sugar can be unhealthy in large amounts, but the effects of overconsumption are often underestimated. If society were to raise awareness for the downsides of high sugar quantities, taking the form of government issued labels or warnings for the health issues sugar poses, while educating people on the average daily intake and the excess sugar contents in everyday foods, an overall rise in health and wellness could arise.

People should not accept or endorse the extreme daily intakes of sugar in America, and society should urge people to lower their consumption, beginning at a young age. With detailed health labels, each customer could be aware of what they are purchasing and the risks that accompany their products. Utilizing this right to information could prevent a growing reliance on the substance, and reverse the overconsumption that companies have ingrained into our lives. This is crucial to prevent the continuous rise of sugar quantities, and the various health concerns which accompany the substance.

(Sources: Harvard Health Publishing, National Library of Medicine, The Nutrition Source)