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  • As part of the growing academic groundswell against free sugars, on 19–20 February 2014, an international conference in Auckland – Sugary Drink Free Pacific by 2030? – considered the mounting evidence1 against sugar, particularly fructose2, and its role in obesity3, diabetes, kidney disease4, high blood pressure5, heart disease6 and fatty liver7. The conference attendees discussed the possibility of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages and other strategies such as publicity campaigns to make people more aware of their sugar consumption.

    Rights: Image licensed through 123RF Limited.

    The food debate

    Sugary, processed food is often cheap, tasty and readily available. Its convenience and heavy marketing means we are eating more nutritionally poor food.

    Sugar is a toxin

    Ahead of the conference, the Science Media Centre interviewed several nutritional experts. Professor Tony Merriman, Associate Professor of Biochemistry8 at Otago University’s School of Medical Sciences, made the comment that, “Sugar, when ingested9 in the dissolved form as present in sugary drinks does fit the definition of a toxin10, i.e. a poisonous11 substance – a substance that causes illness and death. The more sugary drinks ingested the stronger the detrimental12 effects.”

    Professor Boyd Swinburn, School of Population Health, University of Auckland said, “The evidence is strengthening that increased energy intake is the main driver for the obesity epidemic13. Within that, it is the increase in ultra-processed food as a greater proportion of the diet, which is causing the problem. Within that, there are multiple factors – high palatability, cheap price, heavy marketing, ubiquitous availability, high convenience, long shelf life14, energy density15 – which are behind the increase in intake of ultra processed foods. Within that, added sugar contributes to several components, e.g. palatability, cheapness, shelf life.

    “Sugar-sweetened beverages deserve special focus because they are a very high source of empty calories16, especially for kids, they are amenable to policy actions, they contribute nothing to nutrition, and there are good alternatives – tap water."

    Rights: Image licenced through 123RF Limited

    10 teaspoons of sugar

    A can of cola may contain the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. The consumption of sugary drinks is linked to tooth decay and obesity.

    Comparisons with Big Tobacco

    Professor Swinburn continued, “There are strong analogies17 with tobacco. The corporate behaviours of Big Tobacco and Big Food/Big Soda are identical when faced with a conflict between public good and profits. The public health responses have many parallels – social marketing, regulation, taxation, leadership, clinical treatments, etc.

    “The products themselves have some comparability – both tobacco and junk food give people pleasure, are not essential for life, and cause long and short term harm. There have been some parallels between nicotine’s addictive properties and some ‘addiction-like’ patterns seen in some people with certain foods but this is less strong.”

    Overfed but undernourished

    Professor Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition at AUT University, said that sugar is not evil, “but an excess of sugar is, i.e. it is the dose18 that counts and defines a toxin.

    “It is not so much about what we are consuming – it is about what we are not eating. As a population19 we are overfed but undernourished. Eating and drinking is necessary for life – addictive by design – we need to consume every day and we tend to choose the same foods, over-consume the pleasant food and be creatures of habit. One size does not fit all.

    “Some particular foods are over consumed by some people and do not belong in a healthy diet. If something should be removed from the diet, a clear target and example is sugary drinks. There is no need for sugar to be added to beverages and particularly for children there are huge problems with sweet drinks and tooth decay."

    “The bottom line is: Water is the best drink.”

    As a New Scientist article – Sugar on trial: What you really need to know – concluded, “however much you might want it, you really don’t need it”.

    Activity idea

    Sugar, diet and health is a socio-scientific20 issue that fits within the Nature of Science21 Participating and Contributing strand. Find more examples of socio-scientific issues/resources and how to include them into a science programme.

    Increased sugar intake is one of many factors that contribute to obesity. In Obesity risk factors activity students participate in a simulation demonstrating that both genetic22 make-up and environmental factors influence an individual’s likelihood of becoming obese.

    Related content

    Read the related article Sugar on trial.

    Reference

    O’Callaghan, T. (2014). Sugar on trial: What you really need to know. New Scientist. Iss. 2954. (Published 1 February 2014).

    Useful link

    In 2022 the New Zealand Health Star Rating system was upgraded, making it tougher on sugar and salt23 – read the press announcement on the MPI website.

    1. evidence: Data, or information, used to prove or disprove something.
    2. fructose: A sugar found in fruits.
    3. obesity: An excessively high amount of body fat in relation to lean body mass. It is measured using a system known as body mass index (BMI).
    4. diseases: 1. An abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions. 2. In plants, an abnormal condition that interferes with vital physiological processes.
    5. pressure: The force per unit area that acts on the surface of an object.
    6. heart disease: A condition that affects the heart muscle or the blood vessels of the heart.
    7. liver: A vital organ situated beside the stomach. It is the body’s largest internal organ and plays a major role in metabolism as well as other important and complex functions.
    8. biochemistry: A branch of science that studies how chemical processes occur in living things.
    9. ingestion:
      1. The process of taking a substance into the mouth or body.
      2. The process or act of engulfing particles by cells.
    10. toxin: A poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism.
    11. poisonous: Capable of harming or killing by or as if by poison. A poisonous organism only delivers its toxins when eaten, touched or inhaled.
    12. detrimental: Harmful.
    13. epidemic: A disease or health-related issue that shows up in more cases than would normally be expected.
    14. shelf life: The length of time food, drink and other perishable items are considered suitable for consumption.
    15. density: How tightly a certain amount of matter (atoms or molecules) of a substance is compacted in a given volume. Density is commonly measured in grams per millilitre (g/ml) or cubic centimetre (g/cm3).
    16. calorie: A non-SI unit of energy defined as being the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C. A measure of energy in food.
    17. analogy: A comparison between two things, usually using something that is easy to understand to explain something that is more complicated.
    18. dose: The amount of a substance that comes into contact with a living organism or some part of a living organism.
    19. population: In biology, a population is a group of organisms of a species that live in the same place at a same time and that can interbreed.
    20. socio-scientific: Combining social and scientific factors.
    21. nature of science: The Nature of Science (NoS), is an overarching and unifying strand of the New Zealand science curriculum. Through it, students develop the skills, attitudes and values to build a foundation for understanding the world around them – understanding how science works in order to make links between scientific knowledge and everyday decisions and actions.
    22. genetic: Of, relating to, or determined by genes.
    23. salt: In chemistry, a salt is produced when a strong acid and strong base react. Strong acid + strong base = salt + water.
    Published 10 March 2014 Referencing Hub articles
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        evidence

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      2. Data, or information, used to prove or disprove something.

        diseases

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      4. 1. An abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions.

        2. In plants, an abnormal condition that interferes with vital physiological processes.

        liver

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      6. A vital organ situated beside the stomach. It is the body’s largest internal organ and plays a major role in metabolism as well as other important and complex functions.

        toxin

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      8. A poisonous substance that is a specific product of the metabolic activities of a living organism.

        epidemic

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      10. A disease or health-related issue that shows up in more cases than would normally be expected.

        calorie

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      12. A non-SI unit of energy defined as being the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 °C. A measure of energy in food.

        population

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      14. In biology, a population is a group of organisms of a species that live in the same place at a same time and that can interbreed.

        genetic

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      16. Of, relating to, or determined by genes.

        fructose

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      18. A sugar found in fruits.

        pressure

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      20. The force per unit area that acts on the surface of an object.

        biochemistry

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      22. A branch of science that studies how chemical processes occur in living things.

        poisonous

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      24. Capable of harming or killing by or as if by poison. A poisonous organism only delivers its toxins when eaten, touched or inhaled.

        shelf life

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      26. The length of time food, drink and other perishable items are considered suitable for consumption.

        analogy

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      28. A comparison between two things, usually using something that is easy to understand to explain something that is more complicated.

        socio-scientific

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      30. Combining social and scientific factors.

        salt

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      32. In chemistry, a salt is produced when a strong acid and strong base react. Strong acid + strong base = salt + water.

        obesity

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      34. An excessively high amount of body fat in relation to lean body mass. It is measured using a system known as body mass index (BMI).

        heart disease

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      36. A condition that affects the heart muscle or the blood vessels of the heart.

        ingestion

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        1. The process of taking a substance into the mouth or body.
        2. The process or act of engulfing particles by cells.

        detrimental

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      39. Harmful.

        density

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      41. How tightly a certain amount of matter (atoms or molecules) of a substance is compacted in a given volume. Density is commonly measured in grams per millilitre (g/ml) or cubic centimetre (g/cm3).

        dose

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      43. The amount of a substance that comes into contact with a living organism or some part of a living organism.

        nature of science

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      45. The Nature of Science (NoS), is an overarching and unifying strand of the New Zealand science curriculum. Through it, students develop the skills, attitudes and values to build a foundation for understanding the world around them – understanding how science works in order to make links between scientific knowledge and everyday decisions and actions.