Legal and lethal
Looks at the Health Ministry’s campaign to educate the public on curbing that very unhealthy sugar habit
SUGAR has been described as the enemy of health. Unfortunately, many do not realise the hidden dangers of sugar and that it is the consistent link to the surge of obesity, globally. Over the past 50 years, excessive sugar intake has more than tripled worldwide as the consumption of processed foods and sweetened beverages increased.
Sugar is available in one form or another in the majority of foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. High levels are also present in sugary snacks and desserts, even in milk for toddlers. To make it worse, the food industry has included 10 types of sugars into their products, in different names that confuse consumers.
These sugars go by these names ― high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, maltose and dextrose, among others. When people read the nutrition label, they may not know that these are sugars too.
It seems that the temptation from sugar lies deeper than just in its sweet taste.
A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that refined sugar has a similar effect on the brain as illegal drugs such as cocaine.
Based on their studies on rats, researchers found there are significant similarities between eating sugar and drug-like effects such as bingeing, craving, tolerance, withdrawal, dependence and reward.
However, some scientists have refuted this claim by saying there are no studies on humans to determine if sugar is addictive.
Whether sugar is as addictive as cocaine or not, the over-consumption is alarming. It has led the World Health Organisation to limit the intake of free sugars to less than 10 per cent of total energy intake. A reduction to less than five per cent provides additional health benefits.
These free sugars include glucose and dextrose, fructose, household sugar (sucrose), as well as malt sugar (maltose) and also sugars that are found in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concenFree trates. sugars are added to food by consumers themselves, and also found in many processed foods. over 12g of sugar per 100ml will also be taxed 40 sen per litre.
While the tax will be imposed for the first time, the Health Ministry has taken the initiative to encourage the public to reduce sugar intake since 1997 ― it launched the first Kempen Kurangkan Gula (Reduce Sugar Campaign) with the theme “1 Sudu Dah Cukup, Kurang Lebih Baik” (One spoon is enough, less is better).