Sugar dependence is real

If you’re like most Americans, you eat more sugar than is good for you. Sugar makes us hungry and fat because it is an effective agent that produces excess calories and stimulates further eating. People generally know that sugar isn't good, but they don't appreciate how powerfully negative it really is.

Sugar is the driving force behind the diabetes and obesity epidemics. In addition, when the body can’t manage the amount of sugar in the blood, the sugar begins to damage artery walls, increasing the risk for heart attack and stroke.

Why does sugar have such a powerful hold on us?

Consuming large amounts of added sugar activates the reward center and makes us want to eat that food again. Past memory of eating sweet things produces cues that induce the craving for more. Sugar can also change how you feel. When this happens, you can have increased cravings for sugar and feel a lack of control when around sugar. It resembles other abused substances because it is reinforcing.

While sugar is everywhere — in cookies and crackers, breads and pasta sauce — the single largest source in the American diet is sugary drinks.