Overweight Risk Essay

In the United States, increasing use of sugar in foods has led to an increase in obesity levels. Many manufactured foods have sugars that have been added. These include jams, jellies, yogurt, peanut butter, soups, candy, bars, soft drinks and many other snacks. The National Health and Nutrition examination survey indicated that the United States population has decreased its intake of fat but increased its intake of sugary and energy giving foods, while the incidence of obesity has increased (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2006). The implication here is that there is a greater likelihood of developing obesity with the consumption of sugar than with the consumption of fat. The sugar, when consumed by humans is stored as glycogen. When this glycogen becomes excessive it is converted to fats which when in excess results in the high fat deposits common in obesity. Artificial sweeteners have various advantages over sugar and these make them the preferred choice for individuals who want to avoid the health risks of natural sugar. To begin with, sugar substitutes do not have the problem of lactic acid production, consequently tooth decay is not a health hazard associated with sweeteners. The sweeteners do not undergo the fermentation process like natural sugars. The difficulty of regulating blood glucose levels is easier to manage using artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners allow the individual with diabetes to enjoy a great variety of foods while maintaining close control of their sugar intake. Further, some of the artificial sweeteners even though they have a small amount of energy calories, are slowly metabolized. This means that the levels of blood sugar have some degree of stability over time and so the danger of frequent build up of glucose is overcome. Reactive hypoglycemia is common when foods with high glycemic indices are eaten. Reactive hypoglycemia is a condition where excessive insulin is produced when glucose has been rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This results in levels of glucose in the blood falling between the required amount for brain function (WHO Technical Report, 2006). Artificial sweeteners general have low glycemic indices making them a better alternative. Despite the advantages associated with artificial sweeteners, those are certain side effects that have led to controversy concerning their use. Some of the claimed side effects include headaches, behavior changes, seizures, cancer and respiratory difficulty as well as dermatological problems. The safety of artificial sweeteners use is a great bone of contention because many studies have findings that differ greatly, with some studies concluding that sweeteners are ‘safe at any dose’ while others conclude that sweeteners are ‘safe in all conditions’ (Pizzorno et al, 2005). Generally, most people are of the view that when sweeteners are used in moderation, the risk of adverse effects is minimal. The more important issue of risk-benefit ratio is however, still unclear. Several studies show that weight-loss is not an effect which can be directly associated with artificial sweeteners . On the contrary, people using artificial sweeteners may increase weight. This is because the knowledge that one is reducing calories intake by using artificial sweetener may cause them to ‘compensate ‘ and thus eat foods that have high energy values resulting in weight gain rather than weight loss (De Noon, 2005). Sucralose is an artificial sweeteners about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is produced when sucrose has three of its hydroxyl groups removed and replaced with three chlorine atoms. It is commonly found in chewing gum, baked goods, frozen desserts and is usually absorbed only minimally by body and leaves the body without any changes occurring to it (Renwick et al, 2000). Sucralose has been approved by the FDA and much of the controversy associated with it has more to do with marketing than with safety. Its marketing slogan makes it appear as though it really is a sugar where in actuality it is a raffinose, a carbohydrate made up of three different sugar molecules. Saccharin was created from derivatives of toluene. Its sweetness was discovered as is the case with several other sweeteners. The substance is also made form phthalic anhydride. It is about 300 to 500 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used in toothpaste, dietary beverages and foods. It however has a bitter aftertaste which is minimized through blending it with sweeteners (Pizzorno et al, 2005). Reports from a study that associated saccharin with causation of cancer of the bladder led to controversy surrounding the use of saccharin. Some countries like Canada banned the product while the USA was considering an FDA ban. Further research however, revealed that it could not be dangerous to human beings, causing the threat of an FDA ban to be lifted (Pizzorno et al, 2005) Aspartame, a white, odorless, crystalline powder whose derivatives are aspartic acid and phenylanine is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It can be utilized as a table sweetener or it can be used in frozen desserts, changing gum, gelatins and beverages. It however has the shortcoming of reacting with other flavors of food resulting in a taste that is slightly different from sugar. Aspartame undergoes metabolism to form the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It has considerably low energy values. Safety tasting of the sweetener however resulted in findings that showed that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. The sweetener was however, FDA approved following deliberation and results o a study done in Japan (Whitmore, 1996). There has been debate on the value of extrinsic sugar to the health of an individual. Extrinsic sugar enhances the taste of food but as it does so it also increases the amount of calories resulting in negative effects to the health of an individual. The nutritional advice by the United Nations following a report compiled by two of its agencies (Food and Agriculture organization, FAO, and World Health Organization (WHO) ) is that free sugars should account for only as much as 10% of the total intake in a diet that is considered to healthy. The free sugars in this case include simple sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides) that manufacturers add to foods, as well as those added by consumers themselves and cooks. It also includes sugars that occur naturally like fruit juices, syrups and honey (WHO technical report, 2007). The report goes on to recommend a range of between 55% and 75% of carbohydrates for total energy intake (WHO technical report, 2007). The food industry generally favors artificial sweeteners or natural sugar sweeteners. This is because of the high profit margin realized with the use of artificial sweeteners as they are more cost effective than both corn syrup and sugar. The sweeteners however should be used by consumers with great caution to ensure that the sweeteners do not end up becoming more of a health hazard than a means of achieving good health. References DeNoon J,2005, Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight? Overweight Risk Soars 41% With Each Daily Can of Diet Soft Drink,Reviewed by Charlotte Grayson Mathis MD, WebMD Medical News