Should Sugar Be Regulated?

This article includes for detail from the side suggesting regulation and taxation of sugar. Laura Schmidt said that they are "talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from concentrated dose." She also said that she wanted to make other, healthier foods, easier and cheaper to get in comparison. France, Greece, and Denmark all have taxes on soda, and 20 cities in the United States are looking to follow their lead. Some conclude that "the regulation of sugar is difficult [because] many consider it a necessary vice." There are "cultural and celebratory aspects of sugar," and "changing these patterns is very complicated" said Clair Brindis.

http://marcussamuelsson.com/news/should-sugar-be-regulated

Should We Regulate Sugar Like Alcohol or Tobacco?

Art Carden, an economist, is against regulating the sugar in the same way that we regulate alcohol and tobacco. He feels that the declaration that "chronic non-communicable diseases... pose a greater health burden... than do infectious diseases" is misleading because it is actually a "testimony to our ability to treat infectious diseases" and that we are not living long enough to get these diseases. This can be applied to rising cancer rates as well because a larger percentage of the population is now living long enough to get cancer, making it more of an issue. Carden also feels that instead of the government being able to spend less money to care for people with metabolic syndrome (from eating too much sugar) if there was a regulation, people should instead take responsibility for their eating habits, and in turn, any health-related illness that this creates. If the government does not pay to treat these people, the hope is that people will have more incentive to be healthy. Another point that is brought up is the expense that it takes to regulate alcohol and tobacco. To try to enforce any kind of similar regulations on sugar would cost a ton of money and would be unrealistic. Lastly, Carden feels that people will simply "find ways around restrictions on sugar," and it is therefore not worth the time and money.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/artcarden/2012/02/02/should-we-regulate-sugar-like-alcohol-or-tobacco/

Helth Effects of Sugar on Your Body - The Bitter Truth

According to Dietary Trends from 1970-2005, we eat about 140 pounds of sugar a year per person. "Sugar is a threat to every aspect of good health." It is a "drug that has no nutritional value and is an addictive chemical." Sugar has been compared to cocaine in its effects on the brain. Depression and suicide are "debilitating health problems in our modern, Western world," and this is supposedly connected to sugar. Sugar raises serotonin levels in our brain, which is the "feel-good" chemical. Over a long time of eating large amounts of "white" sugar, the body will cut back on serotonin production which can lead to depression. Sugar can also serves as food for bacteria that cause damage to our teeth. "Sugar is the leading cause of dental deterioration, cavities in teeth, bleeding gums, and loss of teeth." Eating large amounts of sugar can cause insulin resistance and other problems, which can lead to type 3 diabetes, because it causes a large amount of insulin to be released, in turn overworking the pancreas. "When sugar is digested it has an acidic effect on our body," so our body uses calcium, an alkaline substance, to neutralize it. It must be removed from the bones, which weakens them and eventually can cause osteoporosis. "Sugar causes artery damage, inflammation of the arteries and hence weaker arteries," especially if the pancreas is having trouble releasing insulin. This can lead to strokes and heart attacks. In order to digest sugar, the body must sue many vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, taking them away from healthy cells that need to use them. On average, "40% of sugar ingested is stored as fat." This leads to weight problems and obesity. Sugar has a very negative impact on the immune system, causing white blood cells to be almost "paralyzed" (these cells fight disease) " for up to around 5 hours and reduces their ability to work properly by up to 40%." In addition, sugar increases cortisol levels, leading to more stress which causes a plethora of other problems. This article also claims that "the higher the sugar consumption, the greater the risk of cancers." 

http://evolvingwellness.com/posts/1595/health-effects-of-sugar-on-your-body-the-bitter-truth/

The Harmful Effects of Sugar and Choosing Healthy Alternatives

 Sugar comes in many different forms, such as glucose, fructose (fruit sugar), lactose (milk), sucrose (table sugar), maltose (rice malt and honey), jams, syrups, and others, which all are a part of the "major [culprits] in the case against obesity." This presents the problem with taxing, regulating, and setting legal age limits to buying sugar, because it comes in so many different forms, which may not all be completely bad, but will be used if table sugar is regulated. Sugar contributes to a multitude of problems, and, more specifically, is changed " into 2 to 5 times more fat in the bloodstream than... starch." Part of the reason why we crave sugar has "nothing to do with fullness of the stomach," but has more to do with the bio-chemical information sent to the brain when the sweet taste buds are stimulated. To try to completely avoid sweetness would be "unnatural and unnecessary" because it would lead to chemical imbalances and cravings. There are many alternatives that can replace sugar, such as stevia and xylitol: two completely natural sweeteners. Stevia has no effect on the body's production of insulin and is 300 times sweeter than sugar, so only small amounts are needed. There have been no toxicity reports to date. Xylitol can be used in combination for "ideal sugar replacement." 15 grams of xylitol is produced by our own bodies daily, and much less insulin is released into the blood when ingested. It is a five-carbon sugar, making it anti-mocrobial (prevents growth of bacteria), rather than a six-carbon sugar. It has no known toxic levels in quantities below 90 grams per day.

http://www.naturalnews.com/022692.html

Sweet Freedom! Standing Up to Sugar…

"Sugar that isn't utilized immediately to create energy is stored." Sugar, when not eaten with fiber, minerals, and other nutrients, causes a rapid rise of glucose levels in the blood, leading to a rapid release of insulin. This also causes the body to release stress hormones, specifically cortisol. Cells begin to lose insulin receptors and begin experiencing "insulin resistance," leading later on to diabetes and obesity, and also raises triglyceride levels in the blood, "making it difficult to lose weight." High sugar in the blood stream also leads to a loss of calcium in the body which can contribute to osteoporosis. Sugar that is ingested and is not absorbed causes an increase in "harmful bacteria, Candida and other fungi in the intestinal tract." In addition, "high sugar intake is associated with increased cancer risk." If we limit sugar consumption to a small portion after eating a nutritious meal, we will not experience as many problems. Also, "most cavities in teeth are directly related to sugar intake."  Many people see the cons of eating sugar, so they move to artificial sweeteners, but "studies consistently show that people on artificial sweeteners gain more weight than do people who avoid sweeteners entirely." Many people associate fewer calories with less obesity and more weight loss, but "weight loss isn’t just related to calories. The sweeteners have adverse affects on the body as well, many of them worse than the effects sugar has." Many of these sweeteners are supposedly cancer-causing, but "Stevia," an all-natural sweetener, "provides the best transition alternative to getting off sweets altogether."

http://www.prepareforfreedom.com/2011/06/27/sweet-freedom-sugar-health-effects-pros-cons/

Sugar's Effect on Your Health

This source claims that the average American consumes 2-3 lbs. of sugar each week, and in the last 20 years, sugar consumption per year has gone from 26 lbs. to 135 lbs. Sugar has negative affects on the immune system because it causes a rise of insulin levels, which promotes the storage of fat, and inhibits the release of growth hormones. "Major health organizations... agree that sugar consumption in America is one of the 3 major causes of degenerative disease." This source has a list of ways that sugar affects one's health and has information about the more scientific reasons behind these effects. It also talks about the connection between sugar and cancer.


http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm

Sugar, on a Slippery Slope

David Katz argues that the statistics about sugar being "toxic"  are "something of a distortion." He makes the case that oxygen in high doses can be lethal, but it is not considered poison because it is the dosage that makes the poison. Excess sugar intake is, without question, a cause of obesity and other diseases partially due to its influence on hormones, such as insulin, which lead to inflammation. Finding effective ways to reduce sugar intake is urgent, and Katz supports the taxation of soda and restriction on certain food sales in schools . He notes on the difficulty, however on putting an age limit on buying "sugary" foods and of regulating ingredients because it is not easy to determine where the "regulations should begin and end." This also bring about questions of regulating trans fats or high-sodium foods, and then what about limiting the quantity of food that people intake? And would a regulation of sugar just cause companies to use more artificial sweeteners? There is also a problem focusing all of unhealthy eating on sugar because it relies on a combination of many different nutrients. Katz sees the problem, but recognizing that we may not find a solution in heavy regulation of sugar.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/sugar-regulation_b_1255695.html

A Tax to Combat America’s Sugary Diet

In the last 50 years, average American sugar consumption has increased by 24 pounds a year. Some studies trace this to sugary drinks, such as soda, which are the leading source of added sugar in American diets. New York, among other states, is contemplating taxing these sugary beverages. The American Beverage Association has supposedly had ads opposing these taxes. People who drink soda have an increased risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome, regardless of weight. Fructose, which accounts for half of the sugar in sugary drinks, raises blood levels of triglycerides after meals, promotes a gain in abdominal fat, and may promote overeating by affecting the hormone leptin. According to Kelly D. Brownell, "For each extra can or glass of sugared beverage consumed per day, the likelihood of a child’s becoming obese increases by 60 percent.” A study at Yale indicates that soda consumption will drop by almost 8% for every 10 percent increase in price. This could cause an increase in diet drinks and bottled water, so it "would be unlikely to affect employment or commercial revenue." 72 percent of New York residents supported the "soda tax" as long as the revenue went to obesity prevention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/06/health/06brod.html?ref=sugar

Sugar Should Be Regulated As Toxin, Researchers Say

Researchers feel that all food and drinks that include sugar should be regulated, in ways such as taxation, banning sales near schools, or placing age limits on purchase. In the United States, more than two thirds of the population is overweight and half of them are obese. "About 75 percent of U.S. health care dollars are spent on diet-related diseases." Americans consume an average of 40 teaspoons of added sugar each day, and this causes a plethora of problems. Economists debate whether consumer taxes are the best way to curb sugar consumption, because it should be taxed at its manufacturer level. This would give companies incentive to use less sugar in their products. Some researches do not believe that sugar is really problem, but that either saturated fats, highly processed products with simple carbohydrates, or a lack of physical exercise are the root cause of obesity and chronic disease.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/01/sugar-should-be-regulated-as-toxin-researchers-say/

Toxic Sugar: Should We Regulate It Like Alcohol?

Three leading obesity researchers claim that "added sugar in all forms... is as perilous to public health as a controlled substance like alcohol." They advocate for a way to reduce sugar consumption worldwide. A 2010 United Nations report stated that more people are dieing from "lifestyle diseases" than from infectious diseases. Dr. Lustic claims that sugar is a toxicant that contributes to many major fatal conditions, like cardie-vascular disease and cancer. He also says that sugar is not a "poison" because of the calories, but because of its other properties.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/02/sugar-toxic-regulation_n_1248397.html

Sugar should be regulated like alcohol, tobacco, commentary says

This CBS article notes on whether the government should regulate sugar like alcohol and tobacco. It is claimed that sugar is as toxic to your body as alcohol and tobacco, so the government should act towards it in a similar way. Over the past 50 years, sugar consumption has tripled and this has contributed to the "obesity epidemic" that our world is experiencing. Sugar is considered "toxic" because it increases disease risk from factors other than calories and that it is unavoidable, has the potential for abuse, and acts on the same areas of the brain as alcohol and tobacco to "encourage subsequent intake." Lustig claims that "we cannot do it on our own because sugar is addictive." The Sugar Association disputes some of the statistics presented and the American Beverage Association adds that to attribute the huge rise in obesity to a single ingredient is an oversimplification. 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57369857-10391704/sugar-should-be-regulated-like-alcohol-tobacco-commentary-says/

No way to sugar-coat it: Obesity is a health risk

There is no denying that we have an obesity problem in the United States that has been growing. In the last two decades, obesity rates have doubled in adults and has tripled in adolescents. Americans eat or drink around 22 teaspoons of sugar every day, which is three times as much as 30 years ago. About 112,000 deaths occur in the U.S. alone, that are associated with obesity. A group of scientists in California believes that sugar is so addictive that it must be heavily taxed and regulated, with an age requirement for purchasing. The author of this article believes that this extreme, and that promoting healthy diets and exercise should be enough to help this problem.
It is old news that there is an obesity problem, but the idea of heavy taxation and regulation is new. It would be interesting to research what happened alcohol and tobacco use when they first became taxed/regulated. Also, it would be interesting to research the "addictiveness" of sugar and how directly it affects obesity.

http://www.suntimes.com/opinions/10468602-474/editorial-no-way-to-sugar-coat-it-obesity-is-a-health-risk.html

Raising school dropout age is not shown to help

It was conventional to think that if the dropout age is raised, then there will be fewer dropouts and more students will continue their education. Massachusetts raised the dropout age to 18, and research has concluded that this has not lowered dropout rates. In today's economy, it seems unimaginable that anyone would be able to survive with a decent living without at least a high school diploma. So it may make sense that any student that is going to drop out at age 17 would do the same at age 18. Any reason that would lead someone to likely live a "lifetime of underachievement" must be a strong reason. It is hard to say what would actually lower the dropout rates.
Whatever the solution may be, this article stresses how much value we have in our education system today. Without formal education it is difficult, some may say impossible, to live a successful life. However, some students may have different ideas of what being "successful" means. It would be interesting to research what makes students drop out of school and what their lives consist of after dropping out.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/cepeda/10411605-452/raising-school-dropout-age-is-not-shown-to-help.html

It’s tricky finding healthy fast food

In this article, Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz focus on whether the "healthy" options at fast food restaurants are actually healthy. They claim that it is possible to find good and quick choices at most fast food restaurants, but it is easy to make foods, like salads, unhealthy with things like salad dressing. But, it is important to be careful because some things that claim to be healthy are actually far from it. It is noted that when actually going in to the fast food restaurant, it is much harder to order healthy foods than order the enticing unhealthy items.
The fact that fast food has become so integrated in to our society has shown how rushed our society is, with little down time. It also is leading to a huge decrease in family meals and is having an impact on family relationships. Although it is good that people are looking for healthier foods, fast food restaurants affect other aspects of our society as well. This is something that could be researched further.

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/youdocs/10124970-452/its-tricky-finding-healthy-fast-food.html

Paul Kugman Societal Views

Kugman's political views seem generally to be more liberal than conservative. He made multiple remarks about Republicans, most of which seemed implicitly negative, as his views side more with the Democratic party. Through his informative and sometimes condescending writing, it is evident that Kugman feels that he must convey his knowledge to the public. He focuses more on the future of our society rather than the present and feels that our society worries too much about the present.

Nobody Understands Debt

Paul Kugman states that the government has a misplaced focus on reducing the budget deficit, rather than the disastrously high unemployment. He claims that the people in Washington are deficit-worriers who are scared of a future in which the United States is impoverished by the need to pay back our debt. According to Kugman, America's debt is not as great of a problem because it does not need to be paid back, and a large portion of it is money we owe ourselves. Although the debt does matter, there are other problems that are more important right now. The government needs to spend more in order to get us out of the disastrous unemployment that our country is suffering from.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/02/opinion/krugman-nobody-understands-debt.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Keynes Was Right

In this article, Krugman uses the ideas of John Maynard Keynes to explain that the government needs to spend money, rather than cut spending, in order to help the economy. Although Obama's stimulus package failed Krugman blames this on the amount of money put into it. Had it been enough, it would have been successful. Ireland demonstrated how "slashing government spending" hurts, rather than helps. According to Kugman, it is more important to put money into the economy and create jobs, rather than worry about the short-term deficits.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/opinion/keynes-was-right.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Springtime for Toxics

In this article, Paul Krugman writes about the Environmental Protection Agency's new standards on mercury and air toxics for power plants. He explains how beneficial this is, as mercury can cause nerve and mental damage, and for pregnant women, can damage the developing nervous system of their babies. The mercury from the power plants is polluted into the water where it builds up in fish, which we then eat. The new regulations would also reduce fine particle pollution, which is known to cause many health problems. Krugman then talks about how Republicans are generally against these kinds of regulations, contrary to "those who care about the health of their fellow citizens."

 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/26/opinion/krugman-springtime-for-toxics.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss