What Is Sugar Demonization?

Introduction
Sugar appears to currently hold the top position on the blacklist of all unhealthy foods, and although it cannot be denied that it can lead to a variety of maladies, can this simple, pure, sweet substance really be deserving of the massive trend of fierce demonization it has undergone over the past few years?
1. The demonization of sugar – sugar and spice and everything not so nice
Despite the fact that sugar plays a central role in our lives today, it appears that its presence is unwanted. Once positively associated with happiness and joy (just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down), this angelic image has been shattered as sugar has become the villain of the food pyramid. According to New York Times Science journalist
Jane Brody: “sugar has become the most maligned of the main components of the American diet”. Even the very mention of the word “sugar” causes us to shudder at the thought of obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, even addiction. However, recent studies appear to suggest that this fierce inbred fear of all things sweet could be to our detriment. Studies by American psychologists and French sociologists into the attitudes to food in the two countries showed that when both the Americans and the French were asked to “free-associate the phrase “chocolate cake”, the Americans largely responded with negative connotations such as “fattening” and guilt”. The French, meanwhile, thought of “celebrations” and happiness”. Who are the healthier people overall?” (Allemang). This has a damaging effect on our attitudes to food as, according to Allemang: “guilt breeds unhealthy eating”, and this certainly appears to be the case, as despite the above study suggesting that the Americans apparent fear and loathing towards sugar could hint that they “prized health above all” (Allemang), the opposite appears to be true, as the average American consumes between “80 and 150 pounds of sugar per year” (United States department of Agriculture). This recent and increasing trend of the vilification of sugar is a uniquely modern phenomenon and only occurs in todays privileged society as a result of the fact that “appetite has been disconnected from physical labour, most consumption is surplus to our needs, and sweetness is segregated into a separate world of danger, indulgence and anxiety” (Allemang). Indeed, as Harvey Levenstein points out in his book, the in the past the idea that a food should be avoided was nonsensical: “For the first 100 years after the discovery of the calorie, every calorie was good. Calories existed to give you energy. The theory was that the human body was like a machine and calories were the fuel shovelled into the stomach”. How times have changed! The modern trend of the demonization of sugar (and indeed other foods such as fat and salt) have transformed modern society from people who were grateful for any calorie they consumed, whether it be from sugar or otherwise, into a population of sugar fearing calorie counters!

2. Trends in sugar related diseases
Like it or lump it, sugar plays an important role in our diet, a role that is often overlooked when sugar is being portrayed as the evil villain of the food world.
Sugar is a carbohydrate food, and therefore its vilification has a direct effect on the publics view of carbohydrates. “Carbs” as they are known, have being given a bad reputation, both through the blacklisting of sugar and the work of several fad diets such as the popular Atkins diet. However, is the research really there to prove that this trend in both sugar and carb demonization is worthwhile? According to experts, such as those at www.naturalnews.com ; the threat posed by these sugars and carbs isn’t linked directly to the foods themselves but rather to the overconsumption of these foods – “The problem isn't carbohydrates per se, because the body does need this food group. The big issues are overconsumption and consuming simple carbohydrates, which cause quick blood sugar elevation and increased insulin levels.” (www.naturalnews.com) Just as excesses of Vitamin A and D can be harmful, so to can excess sugar, and unfortunately, overconsumption of sugar can lead to extremely adverse and damaging side effects. Words such as “obesity”, “diabetes”, “dental caries” and “metabolic disorders” conjure up images of illness and poor health, and rightly so. Sugar most definitely does play a role in all of this illnesses and many more, however, the way to rectify this is not to demonize sugar so completely that it becomes a sort of forbidden food. Many people are quick to point the finger of blame for these illnesses in sugars direction, however, as Ferris Jabr explains in his article, it is not always as simple as that: “there’s a misguided belief that if we just go after sugars we will fix obesity—obesity is more complex than that”. Instead it is necessary to raise awareness of the fact that overconsumption is the key
problem.
Conclusion
Obviously the ferocious demonization of sugar has had a profound effect on its reputation as a food, and while it is evident that sugar is responsible for an array of illnesses and problems, I feel that this total demonization of the food is somewhat undeserved. It is not sugar alone that is the root cause of all dietary evil and in order to prove this more awareness must be given to the dangers of overconsumption of foods, not merely sugar alone. There is no harm in satisfying your sweet tooth once in a while, after all, as the French say; “Everything in moderation, even moderation”.