Is sugar a demon food or symptom of a fat life-style?

Natasha Marie Harris of Invercargill (at the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island) died, at 30, from a medical condition her family claim was contributed to by overdosing on Coke. While Coca Cola refute their claims, the family report that their mother was effectively dependent on the beverage, drinking 7.5 litres a day (that’s 3 and three-quarters 2-litre bottles, or over 21 12-oz cans). If she wasn’t able to get her favourite beverage the family report that she became moody, irritable and ‘quite nasty’. In other words, she showed some of the signs of psychological dependency. Some researchers have presented evidence that sugar can result in physiological dependency. If you count binging, withdrawal, craving and cross-sensitisation (including to amphetamine) as evidence of such dependency that is . Natasha Harris would have consumed a lot of sugar. Every two litres of coke comes with over three and a half ounces of sugar. A 12-oz can of coke contains one and a quarter oz of sugar, or more than 7 teaspoons of sugar. For Natasha Harris, with a 21 can a day habit, that’s 26-oz of sugar (or over three cups of sugar) a day. But is sugar a demon food? While the standard American diet (SAD) includes a lot of sugar, it also includes a lot of other processed food. At present in the US added sugars provide Americans with a quarter (24%) of their daily calories. Of which soft drinks make up around one third (37%). That is a lot of sugar-based calories. But sugar is only one source of calories. From corn flakes in the morning, to white bread or pies at lunch, to mashed spud for dinner we eat a lot of processed foods. Eating the SAD means eating lots of refined grains. Refined grains especially have contributed the greatest amount to increased calorie consumption. US researchers suggest that Americans would need to eat 10,000 calories of typical restaurant foods to meet their daily requirements for whole grains .rnThe evidence is that many Americans are trying hard. Follow-up studies indicate that the average American is eating more than they need – and putting on an average 1 gram a day. That’s an extra kilo every two years and 9 months (or 1000 days). Research in the US and in Scotland has followed people over time to find which food contributes to weight gain, and which helps people lose weight. In the US Harvard researchers found that its potatoes and chips that contribute to the biggest long-term weight gains . Yoghurt, fruit and nuts actually lead to net weight losses (as whole grain foods and veges). Food that contributes to weight gain and weight loss over time: Leading weight gains More kg/ year Leading weight loss Fewer kg/yearrnPotato chips .19 Yoghurt .09rnPotatoes .15 Nuts and fruit .06rnSoft-drinks, unprocessed and processed red meat .11 Whole grain foods .04rn Vegetables .03 Should we look at the nature of the foods we are eating? Is it something about processed foods such as sugar that makes us gain weight? Foods (and drinks) such as potato chips and soft drinks are products of sophisticated food technology. For example the chip packet is filled with Nitrogen before sealing, which helps keep the product fresher longer, and reduces crushing (and those salty crumbs down the bottom). Less visible in our food world, and especially the SAD world, is the considerable amount of behavioural technology in play as well. Coke has long aimed to have their product ‘always within reach’ of potential customers. That’s about good logistics, and also good behavioural psychology. Psychologist Wansink from Cornell University studies what influences eating. Wansink points out that much of our eating is ‘mindless’ in the sense that we eat more (and drink more) when the food product is put in front of us. As Prince Tui Teka (a famous New Zealand entertainer) said – he (and many others) are effectively on a ‘sea food’ diet – ‘see food, and eat it!’ A lot of the SAD diet is eaten because the food is available (or advertising helps remind us where it is). Wansink recently made a big contribution to the waist-lines of potato chip eaters by introducing a red-dyed chip in the stack of Pringle-like chips. Most snackers took a break at the coloured chip (and ate about half as many chips) – it served as a reminder to the eater that they had a choice, rather than continuing to graze mindlessly. It is unlikely that passing on the chips and moving to a yoghurt diet is going to in itself help keep the weight off. Instead, research into aging Scots indicates that our food choices are an aspect of our chosen life-style. Given the choice, some of us are going to load up at the salad bar, and others head for the pie and gravy option. The evidence from the long-term follow-up of Scots (they are now aged 76) is that those who eat more of a ‘convenience’ processed diet have higher BMIs . That’s a diet that includes the same sort of foods that the Harvard researchers in the US found led to weight gain – spuds and chips for example. The study identified how people tended to cluster in terms of food preferences. Four different consumption styles were identified. These might be a uniquely Scottish pattern, but you’ll be able to identify people who fit the different groups. This study is interesting in that it considered the role of personality on the eating aspect of these people’s life-style. This gives us some clues about how we might customise the ‘healthy eating’ message for different groups. Two personality dimensions were important, with ‘Openness’ being the most significant. Food Groups identified in the long-term Lothian Health Follow-up: Food group Possible dinner menu PersonalityrnMediterranean Pasta and broccoli salad, with tomato-based sauce dressing; leafy salad with oil and vinegar dressing.rnGlass of water on the side. High OpennessrnLow Nervousness Processed Meat pie and bottled sauce, mashed potato and tinned vegetables.rnSoft drink. Low OpennessrnHigh Nervousnessrn rnFruit and Vegetables Carrot salad, followed by fruit salad. Not meat. Possibly tofu.rnWater? rnTraditional (with sweet tooth) Puddings, cakes, biscuits and chocolates.rnCup of tea or coffee (with sugar). The lovers of ‘processed’ foods tended to be low on the Openness dimension of personality as well as having greater weight for their height (open-minded people are more inclined to explore the range of options rather than sticking to an established pattern of behaviour or thought). This suggests that there is a psychological dimension to the processed diet. Rather than being attracted to novel foods the ‘less open’ and more cautious Scots were likely motivated by comfort and safety. In contrast, those tucking into the ‘Mediterranean’ diet – salad veges, fish and poultry, yoghurt and so on were high on this openness dimension. Their curiosity makes them more inclined to explore and enjoy the tastes and textures of a non-traditional diet. This result is somewhat of a surprise. Typically healthy behaviours (not smoking, moderate drinking, exercising, healthy eating) are strongly associated with ‘conscientiousness’ – another of the ‘big five’ of personality dimensions. Not surprisingly conscientiousness is related to BMI (more conscientious people have lower weight for their height), just not to a particular eating pattern. For those keen to reduce weight, or to not gain weight over time, it seems that it is not simply a matter of sticking with the program, as our conscientious friends do. It is also important to be helped to explore different foods and likely different approaches to exercise and other aspects of life-style. To make it easier for those who are less conscientious (and not likely to have a plan) or less open-minded (and be less inclined to trying something new at meal-time) it can be helpful to distinguish ‘white’ (or processed foods) from ‘green’ foods (attractive and less processed). This means less time spend making energy-depleting food decisions, and more inclination to eat the foods that don’t pack on the pounds. Sample ‘green foods’ – less likely to contribute to weight gain and other health issues associated with the SAD diet, contrasted with ‘white foods’: 'Green' food rnDiet definitions Calorie Typical serve rnMediterranean (or 'beans, nuts and oil') rnOats 300 1 cup dry rolled oats rnPoached / boiled eggs 70 2 poached rnWhole-grain bread 85 1 slice rnBeans 240 1 cup cooked / canned kidney beans rnBrown rice 200 1 cup rnwhite meat, fish 110 2.5 oz, 70 g (size deck playing cards) rnBroccoli 50 I cup steamed rnCarrots 30 1/2 cup steamed rnnuts 70 10 almonds rnmono-unsaturated oil 250 1 oz (28 g) olive oil rnLow fat dairy 170 1 cup yoghurt, cottage cheese rnDark choc 25 1 square rnFruit & vegetable (or 'vegan') rnFruit 100 banana or apple rnLGV (leafy green vegetable) 75 1 cup cooked spinach rnPasta salad 350 I cup with veg rnTofu 50 3 oz, 85 g rnLegumes 230 1 cup cooked lentil rnDried fruit 40 5 dates 15 10 raisins 'White' food rnProcessed (or 'fast food') rnCorn flakes, skim milk, no sugar 300 I cup rnToast (white), butter, jam 170 1 slice (80+40+50) rnEgg muffin 300 rnHash brown 150 rnMeat pie 450 1 hand-sized pie rnFilled roll 350 chicken filled roll rnHamburger 430 Quarter pounder rnChips / fries 210 Small (2.4 oz, 64 g) rnFried fish / chicken 250 Chicken thigh rnSausage (processed meat) 220 3 oz, 80 g beef sausage rnMuesli or candy bar 260 Mars bar rnStandard Western (or 'traditional') rnScrambled, fried eggs 200 2 fried rnPancake / hotcake, and margarine and syrup 600 1 serve rnRed meat 120 2.5 oz, 70 g (size deck playing cards) rnPotatoes - mashed, w. butter and milk 240 1 cup rnSauce 45 1 serve (1 oz) BBQ sauce rnButter 200 1 oz (28 g) rnCheese 110 1 0z (28 g) cheddar rnPotato, corn chips/crisps 150 1 cup rnCake, slice 300 1 caramel slice (2.5 oz. 65 g) rnIce-cream 250 1 cup rnThis doesn’t mean stopping eating sweet or processed foods. They are still an important part of our lives. A piece of birthday cake can have big significance and not so many calories – it just doesn’t need to be a slab. Many runners appreciate a small cup of (flat) coke in the final quarter of their marathon – a rewarding energy burst just when extra mental and physical reserves are needed. Note - if you wish to locate the studies referred to here - email Stewart: stewart@fxc.co.nz.