Sugar Is Killing Us
Now the title of this article may seem radical but there is solid
truth behind it and now that I've got your attention I want to
discuss the negatives of our modern diet
and determine if sugar could actually be killing us.
If like me you are lucky enough to live in a European first world
country, then ever since the end of the second world war and the
following end to rationing, food has become increasingly more
available. More and more fast food restaurants, cafés, bakeries,
supermarkets and take aways have opened for business, where you live,
where you work and where you go to school or college. And they've all
found their way into your homes through your t.v and through the
internet where they can afford big advertising campaigns which
produce a want for a product from the viewer. This is most effective
when targeted at kids with the use of their favourite cartoon
character or a free toy which can only be had at their restaurant
And what do they all have in common? Sugar or to put it correctly
Refined Carbohydrates. But why am I quick to blame refined
carbohydrates you're probably asking, why not fat? Why not protein?
Well from 1965 onwards the total of daily calories that we get from
fat has been steadily decreasing, from 1965 to 1995 it was down 10%
for both men and women, while carbohydrate consumption has been
steadily increasing.
As for protein, recent studies have found that our hunter gatherer
ancestor's diet contained around 50% - 75% meat which anyone apart
from a body builder would consider high. The rest being made up from
gathered foods including nuts and fruit. This is how we were built to
eat, this is how we thrived and developed into the highly intelligent
beings we are today. It's only since the agricultural revolution that
major diseases have increased in occurrence decade by decade.
With 1 billion adults overweight and 300 million of them Obese
something has drastically gone wrong and something is to blame, but
is it sugar's fault? Is it the big companies peddling their
convenience foods? Is it the education system? Or is it you and me? I
think all 3.
As I said before, the fast food companies aggressively pursue your
business and use the the best tasting and cheapest ingredients
available, which is usually sugar. And do they care? Well only when
we start to realise the truth, for example McDonald's over the last 5
years have tried to smarten up their image but don't be sucked in,
they haven't made many changes, just enough to appease public
opinion.
The education system is also to blame because it fails to protect our
kids from these companies allowing them to sponsor school events thus
gaining the students as an audience. Also for failing to teach them
the truth about food and diet instead pushing the same outdated
cookery or home EC classes from the fifties.
And lastly you and me, we have a responsibility to look after
ourselves and to seek the truth instead of gaining the majority of
our viewpoints from a biased media instead of questioning the source
and the impartiality.
