Sugar now makes up the world’s largest killer. With a rise in obesity and diabetes, food chiefs have now intervened to ask big food co-operations to cut the amount of sugar they put in its industrialised food. Researchers have found that zero-fat yoghurts can contain five teaspoons of sugar, whilst Heinz tomato soup has four, and a Mars bar has eight. It is not surprising to see that obesity and diabetes costs the UK over £5 billion a year.

However, doctors and academics say levels must be reduced by up to 30 per cent to halt a wave of disease and death. Simon Capewell professor of clinical epidemiology at the University of Liverpool said that sugar ‘is the new tobacco’. He added: “Everywhere, sugary drinks and junk foods are now pressed on unsuspecting parents and children by a cynical industry focused on profit not health. The obesity epidemic is generating a huge burden of unnecessary disease and death.”

Meanwhile, despite claims made by scientists about the real dangers of having too much sugar in our industrialised foods, food manufacturers have hit back. They refuse to admit the scientists claims, and Barbara Gallani, spokeswoman for the Food and Drink Federation, an industry group claimed that, “The industry already provided clear information on sugar levels to consumers, using figures and colour-coded labels. Sugars, or any other nutrient for that matter, consumed as part of a varied and balanced diet is not a cause of obesity, to which there is no simple or single solution.”

Yet as more and more research goes into finding out the real causes behind obesity and diabetes, one can see that sugar has found its way into virtually everything we eat. Large co-operations do not want to admit the truth, as they survive by manipulating parents into buying their food and drink.

It is also very interesting that Ms Gallani described sugar as a “nutrient”. The truth is, processed sugar is one of the least nutritious foods on the planet and in fact, helps to rob your body of it.

The only real answer to solve this is to cut down on the amount of industrialised foods we eat, and to try and cook from fresh products; at least then one knows what one is eating.

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