The global diet is getting sweeter, putting millions of people at risk for health complications including heart diseases, diabetes, and stroke, says a new study. According to researchers, people are consuming more amount sugar in their food and beverages globally with each passing day, a trend that could negatively impact global health.

Previous research has shown that consuming foods and beverages with added caloric sweeteners trigger risk of weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke. After taking these above risks into account, the current study has warned people of unhealthy future that is waiting for us if food habits are not changed or controlled now.

The Sweetening of the World’s Diet

Packaged foods are primarily to blame for the increase in sugar in our diets. Lead study author Barry M Popkin from the University of North Carolina who conducted the study in the US has found that 68 percent of packaged foods and beverages in the US contain caloric sweeteners, 74 percent include both caloric and low-calorie sweeteners while only 5 percent of the packaged food contains low-calorie sweeteners.

The study reveals that four regions with the highest consumption of added sugar either in food or beverages around the world are North America, Latin America, Australia and Western Europe while the consumption of sweetened dishes is increasing at a very high rate in developing countries. The added sugar comes from hundreds of different versions of sugar, all of which have the same equal health effect, according to Barry M Popkin, from the University of North Carolina in the US.

In India too, studies show a substantial increase in sugar-containing food items. A recent Indian study shows that that no one can beat Indians, as far as consumption of sugar is concerned. India is the largest consumer of sugar and the second largest producer of sugar (after Brazil) in the world, according to data from the India Sugar Trade Industry (2013).

According to researchers, the reason why Indians end up eating so much sugar is, they consume traditional Indian sweets and use sugar in food regularly along with sugar-sweetened beverages and Indian beverages like sweetened buttermilk etc. Thus, the risk of diseases associated with sugar consumption is also highest for Indians.

Researchers have warned that if eating habits are not controlled now then it might have a devastating effect on our future generation. Since, major health issues – diabetes and obesity are associated with caloric sweetener, WHO (World Health Organization) has started creating awareness among people and has taken the initiative to reduce consumption.

Governments of many countries are taking steps to curb the trend, that include taxation (e.g., in Mexico), reduction of their availability in schools, restrictions on marketing of sugary foods to children, public awareness campaigns, and positive and negative front-of-pack labelling.

The study appeared in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.