Americans consume 80 pounds of sugar each year

A survey of Americans shows the average person consumes an unhealthy level of sugar - Photo (c) by Elena Leya on UnSplash

Here’s where consumers are getting most of their sugar

The United States has an obesity crisis and a new survey shed some light on a possible reason. The average American consumes about 80 pounds of sugar a year.

A poll of 2,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Hint Water found Americans, on average, consume 99 grams of sugar each day. To put that into context, that more than the sugar found in two 12-ounce cans of soda.

The survey also suggests that consumers are mostly unaware of the sugar they are ingesting since 85% of the survey respondents said they are actively working to reduce their sugar consumption.

The survey found that 34% of the consumers in the survey get most of their sugar intake from their morning coffee. Three cups of coffee with cream and sugar packs a lot of calories.

“The study revealed that, on a regular day, the average respondent consumes more than twice the amount of sugar recommended by the American Heart Association and significantly less water than is recommended by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine,” said Amy Calhoun Robb, chief marketing officer at Hint Water.

Six foods that contain a lot of sugar

If you want to reduce your sugar consumption, you can start with these six food items:

  • Soda: Nutritionists say soda is an even worse source of sugar than chocolate bars, since chocolate has some nutritional value. Soda is basically carbonated sugar water. Excess consumption can also lead to diabetes due to elevated blood glucose levels.

  • Fruit juice: Fruit juice is often viewed as a healthy beverage, but most contain a lot of natural and added sugar. Consider only drinking freshly squeezed or 100% pure fruit juice and then, only occasionally.

  • Energy drinks: Where do you think all that energy comes from?  A 2012 study by the Center for Science in Public Interest found that an 8-ounce serving of an energy drink contained 44 grams of sugar.

  • Granola: Granola has a reputation for being healthy. However, it has plenty of natural sugars. Cereal manufacturers often add sugar to the product to make it even sweeter. Some commercial brands can contain as much as 36 grams of sugar per cup.

  • Fruit smoothies: Again, the presence of fruit can lead you to believe its a healthy beverage. While they can be a source of vitamins and minerals not found in soda, they often contain both natural and added sugars.

  • Spaghetti sauce: Tomato-based products like spaghetti sauce, tomato soup and ketchup often have extra sugar because of their fruit content. Most spaghetti sauce contains 16 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup serving. That amounts top 28% of the recommended daily value.