- UK Government report reveals sales of table sugar have dropped dramatically between 1974 and 2014.
- Market research also claims Australians are steering away from “sugar”.
- However, we’re drinking more sugary drinks than ever… what gives?!
Sugar consumption is happily on the decline – or at least, that’s what the newest UK and Australian stats would have you believe. But all is not as it seems!
Self-reported data collected by the UK Government reveals that the consumption of table sugar has dropped from 115 teaspoons a week in 1974 to just 20 teaspoons in 2014. It echoes consumer research which finds sugar sales in baking aisles dropping 9.7 per cent in the last year alone.
Sound odd? Read on…
In Australia, market research company Ipsos reports that 24 per cent of Australians now make reducing sugar a priority, and almost half of us want to cut down on sugary drinks and breakfast cereals.
But these stats are not as sweet as they seem.
The shifting definition of sugar.
While we may not buy table sugar at the shop, there’s plenty of other ways it sneaks into our diet. The data shows, for example, that Brits are buying almost a kilo of sugary condiments each week!
Consumption of processed foods – including ready meals, takeaways and convenience products – has also soared over the past 40 years. It’s suggested that less people are cooking homemade food than ever, instead favouring quick and, yes, sugary café meals.
And heartening to see that here in Australia, while the taste for “sugar” is decreasing, the Ipsos poll also shows rising preference for natural alternatives like honey, which we all know is just another form of sugar.
Are sugary drinks the missing piece in the obesity puzzle?
Soft drinks consumption wasn’t even tracked in 1974, but nowadays the average Briton is guzzling back at least 1.5 litres a week (78 litres a year). Pure fruit juice consumption has also risen by 626 per cent, and that’s not even counting Ribena.
Down Under, the majority of added sugar consumption comes from sweetened drinks and we’re also the world’s highest consumers of juice. These sugar-sweetened drinks are an instant shot of sugar to the system, and strongly linked to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and fatty liver syndrome.
So, while we’re happy to see that awareness of “table sugar” is picking up, it’s clear that the bagged stuff in the baking aisle is the least of our concerns.
Want to help make a difference? Sign the I Quit Sugar petition for an Australian sugar tax at http://ift.tt/241QNXS. And remember click the button to share on Facebook. Let’s spread the word!
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