Latest Trustworthy News from Dr. Mercola - delivered straight to your inbox!

Children Eat Half of Daily Sugar Intake Before 9am

More than 1 in 5 children in Great Britain are overweight or obese by the time they start school, and according to the Independent, one reason for this is the amount of sugar they consume — with half of their intake occurring before 9 a.m.

No matter what country you’re in, the toxic truth is that sugar is linked to childhood obesity. According to Dr. Robert Lustig, one of America’s leading experts on childhood obesity, sugar — whether consumed as fructose or sucrose (table sugar) or high fructose corn syrup — is a poison, responsible for both obesity and other chronic and lethal diseases. He believes that the negative health effects of sugar consumption can no longer be ignored, any more than the health effects of tobacco and alcohol could.

The human body is not made to consume excessive amounts of sugar, especially fructose. It is actually a hepatotoxin and is metabolized directly into fat — factors that can cause a whole host of problems that can have far-reaching effects on your health. Yet, today, an average American consumes about 22 teaspoons of sugar per day, which amounts to 77 pounds of sugar per year.

It’s no wonder that as sugar consumption has risen, obesity and diabetes rates have skyrocketed worldwide in children and adults.

One of the most important ways to dramatically cut down on your sugar and fructose consumption is to simply eat real food. That means ditching all processed foods as well as sodas and bottled juices. Strive to eat fresh fruit and vegetables and use spices for flavoring in place of sugars.