Putting Sugar in its Place

We are all aware that sugar is bad for us, with recent research suggesting that sugary drinks (including 100% fruit juice) is linked to breast cancer - but the solution is more complex than just telling people to eat less of it.

Our taste buds are hardwired to enjoy and seek sweet treats – and our brains respond to a “sugar fix” in the same way as any other sort of craving that needs to be satisfied – whether it is alcohol, gambling, sex or drugs. On a primitive level when we are driven to seek a particular reward then it can be incredibly hard to resist this urge.

Expecting people to resist temptation as they are exposed to clever marketing and constant advertising - cheap deals and tantalising offers – never linked to any real sort of consequence is immoral and unfair. Stigmatising people who are overweight as “sinners” whilst not supporting them in their efforts to stay healthy when faced with a tide of environmental triggers is just plain wrong.

There are changes afoot – at a government level, policies are looking at introducing a sugar tax – a big step for politicians who have enjoyed huge levels of financial inducements from the food and drink industry who rely on being able to bribe them to turn a blind eye. Far easier to blame the individual for having no will-power than to sacrifice profits. Success stories from around the world show that sugar taxes in many countries have resulted in people changing their behaviour. Far from this placing an unfair burden on those with lower incomes, there is evidence that there are greater levels of positive behaviour change and thus greater health benefits among lower socioeconomic groups.

We should neither become complacent that the “problem” is being taken care of by a higher authority nor beat ourselves up if our will-power caves to temptation – there are things that we can do as individuals to make it easier to reduce our sugar consumption – some are obvious but some take a little planning.

At Temple Vie we focus on more than just helping you to lose weight. We work with you to identify your particular food triggers and life challenges that can so easily sabotage weight loss efforts. We teach about nutrition and advise on how to make clever smart food choices. Temple Vie focuses on helping individuals to put simple strategies in place that aim to make it easy to navigate the minefield that is “healthy eating”.

Take the first step in your weight loss journey today.