Sugar Intake: Sweet Deal or Raw Treat?

Sugar Intake: Sweet Deal or Raw Treat?

For the March 2024 Pick Your Passion, I decided to explore sugar intake. I have a tremendous sweet tooth - shove a piece of cheesecake in my face and my body will force me to eat it. Over the years, I’ve become aware of the negative effect that too much sugar can have on my body. So, I decided to take a quick glance at the intake of added sugar around the world and within the United States.

YUM

Quick Facts

Increased sugar intake contributes to weight gain & obesity, increased risk of diabetes, and an increased risk of heart disease. In America, we tend to have an obsession with soft drinks. According to the USDA 43% of our added sugar intake can be attributed to sugar-sweetened beverages or desserts & sweet snacks.

Sugar Intake

Courtesy of the USDA

Recommendations

The USDA recommends a diet limiting the intake of added sugars to about 12 teaspoons per day. Currently, Americans consume about 17 teaspoons per day.

In the upcoming slides, you will see a brief exploration around sugar consumption across the globe as well as a look at how added sugar consumption has changed in the United States in recent years.

Global Sugar Intake

The world loves a sweet treat. But which countries consume the most sugar? Can you guess where the United States is on this chart?

The United States

The United States (Part Deux)

The scales are a bit lopsided. Here, we log the consumption of sugar per day to standardize the scale.

A Funky Relationship

So, this looks strange, right? The more sugar you consume, the higher your life expectancy??

Explore Yourself

Here is the same data from the previous slide in table format

The USA: A Closer Look

Globally, the United States is seemingly middle-of-the-road concerning sugar intake, but how have our behaviors changed over time? Overall, it looks like our sugar intake is increasing.

The Same Story At Home

The Middle Class loves sugar, apparently.

Away From Home - Better?

Sugar intake away from home has seemingly declined among middle class Americans.

Conclusions

Added sugar intake has increased in the United States. Globally, the United States is closer to the median than the upper quartile in sugar intake. A healthy diet is complex and requires a balance of fats, sugars, and many other nutrients and should not be judged solely on sugar intake. However, with the increase in added sugar at home for Americans, we need to be cognizant of the potential negative side effects of consuming more sweet treats on our bodies.

Sources

R Packages

[@dplyr;@ggplot2;@ggtext;@ghibli;@gt; @janitor]

Data Sources

• Dietary Guidelines

• ERS-USDA Food Consumption

• World Happiness Report

• Yahoo Finance Sugar Consumption