Sugar Addiction Research Paper
Sean Malone
Professor Weber
English 111
25 September 2012
Should Sugar be considered an Addictive Drug?
Dictionary.com defines addiction as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics” (Dictionary.com) . When one thinks of being enslaved as a habit, they think of the Hollywood version of a habit. Sitting alone in a dark room, feeding the habit, and then hating yourself for it. But, can sugar be considered an addiction by definition. Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup; these and many more are all names for the sweet ninja drug. Sugar has many names, but they all act in the same manner, to sweeten the bitter things in life. This addiction can …show more content…
Thus, he has made it illegal to ban any drink bigger than sixteen ounces. Yes, it sounds a little much to just ban drink sizes as a whole, but its a start. There are not really any arguments about sugar not being addicting, other than the obvious 'its natural' argument you can bring up with any drug. But, just like all things in life nothing is good if used in large quantities.
But how much sugar is America taking in? NBCNews.com says that an average American consumes about 22 teaspoons a day. American teens are shoveling in about 34 teaspoons (NBCNews.com). Thats about three times more than Americans were consuming thirty years ago. Not only are there lots of extra calories from an extra dose of sugar, but this fix for sugar is much more than just some extra pounds around the waist.
The ramifications of taking in an excessive amount of sugar can be seen fairly easy. Weight problems, teeth problems, or hyperactivity all relate to sugar intake. Simlilar symptoms can be found in the common addictive drugs. Cocaine is known to cause a jittery high and then a crash of several days. It also can destroy the teeth of the user if smoked. Meth can also be seen from the decomposition of teeth. Sugar acts the same. If left to sit on teeth, sugar can cause cavities which can lead to tooth decay. Thus giving sugar addicts a not so savory
Professor Weber
English 111
25 September 2012
Should Sugar be considered an Addictive Drug?
Dictionary.com defines addiction as “the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics” (Dictionary.com) . When one thinks of being enslaved as a habit, they think of the Hollywood version of a habit. Sitting alone in a dark room, feeding the habit, and then hating yourself for it. But, can sugar be considered an addiction by definition. Dextrose, Maltodextrin, Corn Syrup; these and many more are all names for the sweet ninja drug. Sugar has many names, but they all act in the same manner, to sweeten the bitter things in life. This addiction can …show more content…
Thus, he has made it illegal to ban any drink bigger than sixteen ounces. Yes, it sounds a little much to just ban drink sizes as a whole, but its a start. There are not really any arguments about sugar not being addicting, other than the obvious 'its natural' argument you can bring up with any drug. But, just like all things in life nothing is good if used in large quantities.
But how much sugar is America taking in? NBCNews.com says that an average American consumes about 22 teaspoons a day. American teens are shoveling in about 34 teaspoons (NBCNews.com). Thats about three times more than Americans were consuming thirty years ago. Not only are there lots of extra calories from an extra dose of sugar, but this fix for sugar is much more than just some extra pounds around the waist.
The ramifications of taking in an excessive amount of sugar can be seen fairly easy. Weight problems, teeth problems, or hyperactivity all relate to sugar intake. Simlilar symptoms can be found in the common addictive drugs. Cocaine is known to cause a jittery high and then a crash of several days. It also can destroy the teeth of the user if smoked. Meth can also be seen from the decomposition of teeth. Sugar acts the same. If left to sit on teeth, sugar can cause cavities which can lead to tooth decay. Thus giving sugar addicts a not so savory