The Truth Behind Sugar The American population is fatter than ever before. When compared to the seventies, the obesity rates of today have increased almost 20%. So, why are more people obese today? The answer lies within the food Americans are consuming everyday. As a result of food industries replacing fat for sugar, the human body has started to store fat more easily and increased the United States’ obesity rates. When taking a look back into history, the low-to-no-fat movement ironically can be blamed for starting America’s obesity epidemic. During the seventies, there was a movement in America to low-to-no-fat food items. Senator George McGovern, a democrat from South Dakota, caused the start of this movement when he called an assembly
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Signals to consume more sugar are sent out by the brain, which leads to the body eating more sugar than it needs. “If sugar calories are not used as energy shortly after they are consumed, they are converted into stored body fat by a process known as lipogenesis,” (McNight). Extra sugar that the body can’t burn is then stored as fat. This is why more Americans are becoming overweight or obese. Their brains tell them to eat an additional amount of sugar, but they are not being able to burn that extra sugar off. Therefore, the extra sugar in the body will turn into fat. The extra sugar also affects the hormones in the human body. Ghrelin and leptin, the two hormones associated with hunger, are most affected by sugar.
Numerous studies have looked at how hormones initiate and end eating — playing a major role in determining body weight. These include ghrelin, which seems to trigger hunger, and leptin, which reduces it. The physical sensation of hunger — or its absence — is tied to these hormones. The time of day, timing of meals, emotions such as stress or contentment, and even the types of foods you eat all affect these hormones.
Signals to consume more sugar are sent out by the brain, which leads to the body eating more sugar than it needs. “If sugar calories are not used as energy shortly after they are consumed, they are converted into stored body fat by a process known as lipogenesis,” (McNight). Extra sugar that the body can’t burn is then stored as fat. This is why more Americans are becoming overweight or obese. Their brains tell them to eat an additional amount of sugar, but they are not being able to burn that extra sugar off. Therefore, the extra sugar in the body will turn into fat. The extra sugar also affects the hormones in the human body. Ghrelin and leptin, the two hormones associated with hunger, are most affected by sugar.
Numerous studies have looked at how hormones initiate and end eating — playing a major role in determining body weight. These include ghrelin, which seems to trigger hunger, and leptin, which reduces it. The physical sensation of hunger — or its absence — is tied to these hormones. The time of day, timing of meals, emotions such as stress or contentment, and even the types of foods you eat all affect these hormones.