How much sugar is too much?
A bowl of sweetened cereal for breakfast, a cup of fruit yogurt for a snack, and a scoop of sherbet for dessert: You’ve just had more than 20 teaspoons of sugar without opening the sugar jar. Twenty teaspoons of sugar sounds like a lot — and it is. (Just imagine scooping that much sugar directly into your mouth.) It may be hard to believe, but the typical American actually eats or drinks more than 20 teaspoons of added sugar each day, and that doesn’t even count the sugars naturally found in foods such as fruits, fruit juices, and milk. Added sugar used to be a treat, but now it’s a major part of the American diet. According to a 2004 report from the American Dietetic Association, sweeteners account for about 15 percent of our daily calories. But that’s just an average. Many people get 30 percent or more of their calories from added sugars — far more than any body really wants or needs. Sugar is a short-term source of both energy and pleasure. But at a time when sugar is everywhere,
