SugarScience in the News
October 28, 2019
Sugary Drink Ban Tied to Health Improvements at Medical Center
In recent years, hospitals and medical centers across the country have stopped selling sugar-sweetened beverages in an effort to reduce obesity and diabetes. Now a new study carried out at the University of California, San Francisco, has documented the health impact of a soda sales ban on its employees. Ten months after a sales ban went into effect, U.C.S.F. workers who tended to drink a lot of sugary beverages had cut their daily intake by about half. By the end of the study period, the group had, on average, reduced their waist sizes and belly fat, though they did not see any changes in their body mass index. Those who cut back on sugary beverages also tended to see improvements in insulin resistance, a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes.
January 22, 2019
Communications recommendations for sugar-sweetened beverage-free zones
In the ongoing battle against childhood obesity, institutions are increasingly restricting the sale, and even the consumption, of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) on their premises. The campaign, developed by the Healthy Active Arkansas initiative, is being implemented through a unique collaboration. Jenna Davidson, director for the Office of Student Wellness and Development, Alicia Landry, Employee Wellness coordinator and assistant professor, and Lauren Allinson, campus dietitian, collaborated to create this campus action plan.
December 16, 2018
Here’s How A Colorado Dentist Became Big Sugar’s Worst Nightmare
The cardboard box looked unassuming, but as soon as Cristin Kearns opened it, she knew she was onto something juicy. Inside were documents donated to Colorado State University’s library by a corporation that didn’t exist anymore, one whose local beet sugar factories had shut down by the 1980s. Decades after those closures, in 2009, Kearns flipped open the top manila folder. The first sheet of paper was a 1975 tip sheet from a sugar trade group to sugar company executives, marked “CONFIDENTIAL.” It gave instructions on how to talk to the press about a pro-sugar series of scientific studies — research funded by the trade group, a fact that had not been disclosed at the time.
September 24, 2018
UCA Launches Rethink Your Drink Campaign
The University of Central Arkansas is launching the Rethink Your Drink campaign on campus during September to educate students, faculty and staff on the harmful effects of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and to encourage healthier beverage options. The campaign, developed by the Healthy Active Arkansas initiative, is being implemented through a unique collaboration. Jenna Davidson, director for the Office of Student Wellness and Development, Alicia Landry, Employee Wellness coordinator and assistant professor, and Lauren Allinson, campus dietitian, collaborated to create this campus action plan.
August 3, 2017
Are You a Carboholic? Why Cutting Carbs Is So Tough
Eating a little of a tasty dessert or a little pasta or bread fails to satisfy me. Rather it ignites a fierce craving for more, to eat it all and then some. I find it easier to avoid sugar, grains and starches entirely, rather than to try to eat them in moderation. The question is why. To begin to answer that question requires understanding that researchers are generally divided not only on what causes obesity, but also why we have cravings and often fail to stay on diets.
March 30, 2017
Guidelines on reducing sugar in food published for industry
Public Health England (PHE) has published the technical guidelines setting out the approaches the food industry can take to reduce the amount of sugar children consume through the everyday foods that contribute the most to intakes. The guidelines include the recommended sugar limits for 9 food groups including biscuits, breakfast cereals and yogurt. Also published is the 2015 baseline.
December 5, 2016
Sugar content of fizzy drinks alarmingly high
The sugar content in carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages was found to be up to 52.8 grams per 330 mL can, or 12 teaspoons, according to a study by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
November 17, 2016
How Worried Should We Be About Sugar?
Sugar is a major culprit in diseases such as obesity, diabetes and dementia—and because it's in almost everything we consume, Dr. Robert Lustig says it's time to get more proactive.
November 3, 2016
Putting Sugary Soda Out of Reach
Can public health officials force Americans to break their soda habit? The answer may come soon from the University of California, San Francisco, a health sciences center that has more than 24,000 employees on its sprawling campus. Last year, UCSF removed sugar-sweetened beverages from every store, food truck and vending machine on its campus. Even popular fast-food chains on the campus, like Subway and Panda Express, have stopped selling Sprite, Coca-Cola and their sugary brethren at the university’s request.
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September 29, 2016
Are Weak Policies on Added Sugars Putting a Generation of Children at Risk?
It's not exactly breaking news that Americans eat too much sugar. Federal policies are currently falling short in several important ways. And the food industry, which helped to engineer this policy shortfall, is exploiting it with marketing aimed squarely at kids especially children of color.
