Sugar. Rethink Your Drink.

By: Candida KhanDietetic Intern 2015

Objectives

After the nutrition activity, the youth group will be able to:•Identify the impact sugar has on diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity risk•Read the sugar content on a nutrition label •List drinks that are high in sugar.

Define sugar

•It can be defined as a sweet substance that comes in a brown or white crystal formation. •The focus will be on artificial sugars that are manufactured and not those from fruits.

Why this topic important

•Too much sugar in the diet can be dangerous. •Not knowing what items or foods that are high in sugar can put you at an increased risk since you may eat or drink a high sugar item and not be aware of it. •Sugar can be hidden in the item, but not from the label.

Risk of a high sugar diet

•Diabetes•High blood pressure•Obesity

Diabetes

•Diabetes is a condition where sugar in the blood becomes uncontrolled. It can either be too high or too low at times. •The body therefore cannot regulate sugar in the body.

Define Diabetes

•According to the White Paper, diabetes affects an estimated 150,000 people in T&T and the numbers are growing, with 1,000 new cases every year. •It disclosed that the numbers affected with the disease in T&T represent an adult diabetes prevalence of around 12-13 per cent (Guardian News Paper 2012).  

Statistics on Diabetes

•People who consume sugary drinks regularly—1 to 2 cans a day or more—have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who rarely have such drinks (Harvard Chan, School of Public Health, 2015).

Statistics on Diabetes

High Blood Pressure

•High blood pressure is a condition where there is an intense pressure or force of blood in your body. •There is a link between diabetes and high blood pressure due to the high sugar levels in the blood. •Circulation problems can occur and can be damaging to the body.

Define High Blood Pressure

•A study published by the University of the West Indies (UWI) on overweight children showed findings of a high risk of development of diabetes and hypertension among our younger ones (Express, 2014).

Statistics on High Blood Pressure

•About 70 million American adults (29%) have high blood pressure—that’s 1 in every 3 adults.•High blood pressure costs the nation $46 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications to treat high blood pressure, and missed days of work (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).

Statistics on High Blood Pressure

Obesity

•Obesity is a condition where there is excess weight on a person. There is basically a high amount of stored fat in the body. •To classify someone as obese, measurements are taken to calculate BMI or IBW). •This can put you at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Define Obesity

•Cutting back on sugary drinks can help in weight control.•Studies in children and adults have found that reducing sugary drink consumption can lead to better weight control among those who are initially overweight (HarvardChan, School of public Health 2015).

Statistics on Obesity

•Two out of three adults and one out of three children in the United States are overweight or obese.•Rising consumption of sugary drinks has been a major contributor to the obesity epidemic (HarvardChan, School of public Health 2015).

Statistics on Obesity

Sugar and the Body

•Sugar can be called ‘empty calories.’ There are no vitamins, minerals, proteins or essential fats in sugar.•It is pure energy or carbohydrates. In the blood stream, sugar is broken down into simpler sugars. It can be stored or turned into fat when in excess. This is where problems occur.

How much sugar do we need?

•The American Heart Association recommends limiting the amount of added sugars you consume to no more than half of your daily calorie allowance. •About 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 teaspoons per day for men.

Men Women

How much sugar do we need?

Labels

Names for added sugars on labels include:•Brown sugar•Corn sweetener•Corn syrup•Fruit juice concentrates•High-fructose corn syrup•Invert sugar •Syrup

•Malt sugar•Molasses•Raw sugar•Sugar•Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)

What you see on labels

•Sugar-Free – less than 0.5 g of sugar per serving•Reduced Sugar or Less Sugar – at least 25 percent less sugars per serving compared to a standard serving size of the traditional variety•No Added Sugars or Without Added Sugars – no sugars or sugar-containing ingredient such as juice or dry fruit is added during processing•Low Sugar – not defined or allowed as a claim on food labels

Display

Evaluation

Conclusion

•Conclude with a brief summary of what was done.

Bibliography

•http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/sugary-drinks-fact-sheet/•http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/?referrer=https://www.facebook.com/•http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Child-obesity-rate-in-TT-alarming-243277131.html•http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2014-01-16/khan-tt-must-face-obesity-epidemic•http://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_bloodpressure.htm