An alternative perspective on the challenges facing science today
PART 2: OVERCONSUMPTION VS PLANETARY HEALTH In part 1, I examined the most potent sources of man-made pollution and their effects on the environment, wildlife and human health. In this part, I will explore how certain substances we consume in excess can not only damage our health and human rights, but also means huge swathes of land is lost for nature. Sugar
Increasing levels of sugar in our food has become a great concern among health professionals as rates of diabetes, obesity - particularly among children - and heart disease are on the rise in the developed world, and are rapidly rising among younger people in the developing world, as we increasingly indulge in sweets, cakes and fizzy drinks. In one of my previous blog posts, I discussed how excess sugar can increase the risk of vascular disease and subsequently heart attacks and strokes [1]. On a personal level, I am often frustrated by the levels of sugar present in food items in the supermarket and with diabetes in my family, I am puzzled by how diabetics can control their blood sugar levels as sugar is even added to foods that should be savoury. Of course, we shouldn't eliminate sugar from our diets as it provides vital energy for our cells, but the levels added to many foods are excessive and unnecessary. Measures are being put in place to crack down on the food industry's indulgence in sugar, such as the sugar tax that was implemented in the UK in 2018.
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AuthorDr. Anusha Seneviratne This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Categories
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