More addictive than Heroin or Cocaine !

For many decades now, the biggest bogey to good health has been " fat " !  There have been strident calls to reduce the fat in what we eat and the food industry has responded.   Many products now carry labels claiming " Fat reduced ", " No Fat " - and " Baked - not fried ".

Unfortunately, along with this reduction in fat has came a sharp reduction in " taste ".   The fat content made food taste good and without it the product seemed " bland " - and was rejected by many people.

The food industry was desperate to reinvent taste - and they achieved this by adding more sugar.   The sugar content in cereals and most foods increased sharply, and in fizzy drinks and " energy " drinks it rose to danger levels.

That is the reason why western society has seen such a rise in obesity in recent years, and why an alarming number of people are developing Diabetes.  As the level of sugar in our bodies increases, blood pressure rises and our tissues become more resistant to Insulin.  The Pancreas responds by producing more Insulin to try and achieve a balance, leading to a condition known as " metabolic syndrome ", characterized by fat around the waist and high blood pressure.   This is the precursor to type 2 Diabetes.

Sugar is addictive - and some medical people claim it is more addictive than Heroin or Cocaine.   The more we get, the more we want and after the initial " sugar rush " we find that it saps our energy and reduces our inclination to exercise.

There is no easy way to beat addiction.   We would probably need the services of a specialised clinic and do a period of " cold turkey ".   Once the sugar had drained from our body we would need to maintain a careful diet, and even one candy bar or a fizzy soft drink could start a relapse.

It would certainly help if the government imposed a legal limit on the amount of sugar allowed in foods, but we would pay the price of losing the taste that makes food enjoyable.

At least we have the opportunity to read the contents schedule required on all food labels and that tells us the content level of fat, sugar and sodium.   Sadly, the next generation may be the first to break the connection of each generation living longer than it's predecessor.

The addictive product that will kill many of us is a perfectly legal product - and on the shelves of every grocery store and supermarket !