How Sugar Affects National Politics, Media, & Latino Kid’s Health

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Studies have shown that sugar is bad for us, but how can it change our health?

Research is still being done on how sugar is affecting the health of adults and children, although it is clear that most studies clearly show links of sugar to failing health. Recent studies have revealed how sugar can worsen cardiometabolic risk factors, and how sugary beverages are linked to heart failure. 

New research from the University of California in San Francisco and Touro University revealed that cutting sugar out of kid’s diets for at least 10 days created an immediate transformation in their health. Within the studies participants, were 27 obese Latino children. Dramatic levels were reported of reduction in diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, and bad cholesterol. Also, glucose tolerance and amount excess of insulin circulating in the blood improved.

Calories were measured to stay the same, but sugars were substituted for other starchy processed foods that did not contain sugar, such as potato chips and bagels. The children in the study lost weight quickly. In fact, an average of two pounds in just 10 days was reported. The researchers noticed the quick weight loss in the participants by following the kids measurements, coming to realize that the kids needed an increase in calories because they were losing weight too quickly.

The conclusion of this study among others shows that sugar can cause havoc upon the body’s metabolic system.

A study author and a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, Robert Lustig, stated in a recent article, “Where those calories come from determines where in the body they go. Sugar calories are the worst because they turn to fat in the liver, driving insulin resistance, and driving risk for diabetes, heart and liver disease,” he added. “This has enormous implications for the food industry, chronic disease, and health care costs.”

No matter the case, sugar is becoming a political issue with high relevance for debate. Big Sugar and Big Corn are in court over how marketing and news agencies are painting their products as unhealthy. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee are limiting the amount of sugar food companies can add to their products, and Congress recently introduced a House bill to limit federal nutritional guidelines only to randomized controlled trials. Proving this with long-term studies, scientist say, can be difficult to achieve as they would need diets to stay the same for people for at least 50 years to see any development of chronic diseases.

Diabetes and obesity are rising concerns among Latino kids as they are more likely to develop chronic diseases. Not helping in the matter of unhealthy foods and unnecessary sugars are also unhealthy ads Latino kids see on television and in social media, where advertisers directly market unhealthy products to Latino youth.

To learn more about Latino health and what people are doing to help prevent obesity and diabetes for Latino youth, check out our Salud Heros page.