Should sugar be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes?

1. 68

   ptosisposted 12 years ago

   Should sugar be regulated like alcohol and cigarettes?
   
   Sugar is now contributing to 35 million deaths a year. Is refined sugar a drug?
   
   
   

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2. 88

   Doc Snowposted 12 years ago

   I don't think so.  There may well be issues with sugar, but I think that continued educational efforts, not regulation, is indicated.
   
   Should Girl Scout cookies be criminalized, pies be banned, or Grandma be considered a pusher when she bakes a chocolate cake?

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3. 68

   ptosisposted 12 years ago

   great answer ... food is expensive enough without more taxation

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4. 60

   rlahaposted 12 years ago

   I don't think that sugar should be regulated like cigarettes and alcohol.  In Nutrition, we say that everything should be eaten in moderation.  For parents who do not understand the importance of moderating their children's diets, they need to understand that too much of anything is not good.  So just like unhealthy fats, salts and junk food, the sugar should be moderated in the diet.  Also, a variety of foods should be eaten to get a well balanced nutrition for the body.

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5. 61

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   Good question ptosis.  I think the response to it is similiar to a drug, caffeine is a drug but no regulation there- how much regulation do we need?  Have you ever seen the movie Demolition Man?  A fun but perfect example of overregulation.
   
   Sugar, trans fat, next would be sodium and salt - there goes pizza.  Additives, soda pop with all the coloring.  It opens the door for the government in our lives at every turn.
   
   35 million deaths a year - I would have to know their method of gathering information and how it was compiled.  Unfortunately statistics can be skewed in any direction to support the desired results.
   
   We live in an area that has a vermiculite mine.  Asbestosis runs rampant in this town - but when you see statistics they attribute many deaths to the asbestos, that is not asbestos related such as heart attacks.  But they skew it because it keeps the federal funding coming in.  So I am always leery of studies or statistics until I know how they arrive at their numbers.
   
   Good question, got my brain working early today

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6. 72

   lburmasterposted 12 years ago

   Sugar might be responsible for deaths, just like alcohol and cigarettes, but they are not the main cause of deaths. They are just tools. Our downfall is our lack of discipline. We should know better. Our minds are stronger than our wants and desires but our society has taken on the thought of "If you want it, go get it". This is the last thing we should do. Regulate ourselves, not have others regulate you. It shows that you are intelligent and can handle what anyone, even you, dishes out. Discipline = A sign of true strength.

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7. 69

   onegoodwomanposted 12 years ago

   i am SICK of the "government" trying to protect me from myself.

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8. 92

   colpolbearposted 12 years ago

   Sugar is a necessary part of the human diet (if you want to be healthy.)  I've researched different kinds of sugar (high fructose, glucose, ect.) and have come to the conclusion that people know absolutely nothing about it.  Sugar is just like politics.  Everyone thinks they know everything while in reality, no one knows much of anything except what they want to believe.  It's not something that should be regulated until we properly understand it.  I'm not arguing that it doesn't cause deaths or is always good for you, because excessive amounts clearly are not good for you.  I would just want to see some more concrete evidence before it's regulated.

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9. 0

   Emer420posted 12 years ago

   I do not believe that it should.  There is no reason for it.  The government should also not be aloud to tell us what we can and can't consume, food-wise.  It is just wrong.

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10. 75

    Infobrowserposted 12 years ago

    People need to be better educated on the subject. Most children today probably think that bad dental health is the only side effect. The dental side of sugar is drummed into us so much but the rest seems to be overlooked in comparison. I would consider refined sugar a drug because it is both addictive and unhealthy.
    
    I have seen so many drinks and foods boasting only a minor percentage of our RDA in calories and yet containing a third (for example) of our RDA of sugar. 'Balanced diet' is not the phrase in mind.

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