UK Sugar Report & “Sugar Tax” – WatchFit Experts Respond Pt. 1
PHE Report: sugar & an increase in obesity
Sugar. It is definitely not good for you, but a controversial report released by Public Health England suggests that it may be the cause for the excessive and life-threatening rise in obesity witnessed over the past 30 years.
WatchFit Experts Respond
We’ve reached out to four of our fantastic experts to share their opinions on this PHE report, sugar and obesity from both a local and international viewpoint. Thank you to Carolina Brooks, Polly Hale, Sinead Loughnane and Julie Meek for their invaluable insights in this two part series
Read part 2 here
My contributions include:
“An excess of calories coming from any food will lead to weight gain. The thing is with sugar is it’s addictive, it’s very easy to overeat (it’s not in the least satiating), and it’s not even an important nutrient to health. Too many calories of salmon, or blueberries, or eggs, will all lead to weight gain, but at least these are superbly nutritious foods that contribute to health, not diminish it, as is the case with too much sugar.”
“In 1948 in the UK a health system was developed to provide basic but life-saving health care for everyone. No longer would people die of diseases and injuries because they were not able to afford it. It was a humbling humanitarian decision that many people still rely on. Fast forward to today and you can get your teeth straightened, your boobs enlarged, and you can disregard any self-responsibility because however badly you treat your body, the NHS is there to pick up the pieces, at a mere cost of £5bn a year, courtesy of tax payers.
But is it sugar’s fault? ”