America will introduce the first Sugar Addiction Awareness Day on 30th October 2024, to kick start Halloween. The day is being held to raise awareness of the qualities of sugar, which make it addictive to adults and children, and its impact on obesity levels, in particular childhood obesity. The introduction of the day has received widespread support from nutritionists, doctors, experts in obesity and researchers. The day will see the promotion of a healthy Halloween which can be fun without sugar.
Around a third of children and teenagers in the United States are overweight, with childhood obesity affecting 17 percent. According to the Centre for Disease Control, type 2 diabetes rates have soared, which could result in a third of American adults having type 2 diabetes by 2050 if no changes are made. An increasing number of experts agree that sugar can have a similar impact on children to drugs, as they become addicted to processed and sugary food. Robert Pretlow, M.D who is an expert in child obesity said:
Kids eat junk food because it tastes good and is readily available, but, in the process their brains develop changes to keep the behaviour going, which eventually may result in being unable to stop eating the foods, i.e., an actual addiction.
The solution to beating sugar addiction appears to be learning how to consume real food, like fruit and vegetables prepared at home. Find ideas for a healthy Halloween on the website:
Sugar Addiction Awareness Day
