Just a Spoonful of Sugar

A Spoon Too Many?

Added sugar is in a large amount of the American food supply. As the demand for added sugar has increased in America, so have our weight problems. In 2015, more than half of all American adults are obese or overweight, which can cause serious health problems.


Sugar delivered for domestic food and bevarage use by metric tons

Percentage of obese Americans by year

What is Added Sugar?

The United States Department of Agriculture defines added sugars as "sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk and fruits."

How Much?

The American Heart Association suggests that: Women should consume no more than 100 calories (6 tsp) of added sugar. Men should consume no more than 150 calories (9 tsp) of added sugar.

Average Consumption

The average American will eat 20 teaspoons of added sugars daily. That's about 320 calories worth of sugar.

Obesity & Overweight

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, obesity and overweight definitions are as follows:
Overweight refers to an excess amount of body weight that may come from muscles, bone, fat, and water.
Obesity refers to an excess amount of body fat.

Both can occur when people consume more calories than they burn off.

Risks

Obese or overweight are more at risk for the following: type 2 diabetes, heart diseass, high blood pressure
nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (excess fat and inflammation in the liver of people who drink little or no alcohol)
osteoarthritis (a health problem causing pain, swelling, and stiffness in one or more joints)
some types of cancer: breast, colon, endometrial (related to the uterine lining), and kidney
stroke

Are You At Risk?

The 2009 - 2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found 2 of 3 adults to be overweight. Use this BMI calculator to find out if you're at risk!










Data Tables

Year Sugar Delivered for Food and Beverage Use Percentage Obese in US
Year Sugar Delivered for Food and Beverage Use Percentage Obese in US
*Some cells are blank because there is no available data
Sources: American Heart Association, US Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture, data.gov