Does sugar cause obesity?

With burgeoning obesity statistics in the developed world, the business and scientific communities are in a mad race to find a fix-all cure.  So far, diet and lifestyle changes remain the best approach, hence the increasing popularity of nutrition and fitness programs.

Ironically, despite some mind-boggling advances in science and medicine, and despite massive government education initiatives, the statistics appear to be showing no sign of abating.  In fact, for those who do succeed in losing weight, many subsequently regain it plus more.

For decades, nutritionists and governments have been attempting to lay blame for the obesity epidemic with a particular food such as sugar.  The famous Atkins diet (and others like it) endeavoured to eliminate carbohydrates (including sugar) altogether and seemed to get results.  Is sugar then to blame for obesity?

Sugar has been vilified as a contributor to obesity in much the same way fat did a few decades ago.  Whilst it is generally accepted now that fat is best kept to a minimum, science has enlightened us to distinguish between good and bad fats.  We need the good fats such as omega3 oils, but definitely are better without trans fats.  So are there good sugars and bad sugars?

Think about it this way; sugar doesn’t grow on trees.  We can’t go and dig up some sugar from the ground.  It is a processed food derived from sugar cane or beets.  Whenever you hear the word “processed”, take note.  All natural plant life is balanced.  That is, each plant is a highly advanced chemical ‘factory’ which draws minerals and nutrients from the ground and converts them into a form which is easily digestible by animals and humans (colloidal minerals).  Each plant (and the fruit or vegetables from it) contains a broad spectrum of micronutrients, each of which play a role in growing the plant itself as well as protecting and preserving its fruit or vegetables from decay and disease.  Many of these nutrients are equally as powerful in the human body and these days we’re all familiar with the value of antioxidants, vitamins, polyphenols and phytochemicals.

The more processed a food is, the less of these naturally occurring nutrients there is likely to be in it, which means it isn’t so good for us.  So it is with sugar; refined white sugar has been dubbed a ‘hollow nutrient’ by some nutritionists because it contains virtually no useful nutrients.  Brown sugar is refined white sugar onto which molasses has been sprayed.  Molasses contains nutrients washed out of white sugar during the sugar milling and refining process and is ironically used as a feedstock for animals.  Some of the components in molasses are in fact very potent antioxidants and together with other similar polyphenols exert some very desirable effects on the body, especially in relation to redistribution of body mass (reduction of fat and increase in lean muscle).  A current study into molasses polyphenols by researchers at Melbourne’s LaTrobe and Deakin Universities may hold the key to the development of natural treatments for obesity.  How ironic, that the cause and the cure could come from the same source; sugarcane!

A recent study published in Clinical Nutrition cautions against attributing obesity to sugar.  The study found no evidence of sugar addiction in humans although it did appear to occur in some animal trials.  The researchers evidently did not reach any definitive conclusion however, noting that if sucrose is responsible for obesity, then responses should concentrate on this one ingredient.  They went on to point out that if sugar addiction was proven, it would have widespread implications for food manufacturers and the fast food industry.  Too right it will!

Finally, it is curious to note that whilst sugar consumption has declined in Australia and USA over the past decade (ISO 2008 World Book), the incidence of obesity has continued to rise over the same period.  Unless it can be demonstrated that sugar consumption has a latent effect in regards to obesity, sugar may not be the real culprit.