Fast foods, sugar snacks, candies and soft drinks may be providing North America with a quick fix for feelings of hunger but they are just as quickly making North America obese. Along with the fast fix comes fast weight gain. Extra calories build up quickly but there is nothing fast about getting those pounds off.
Over 5.5 million Canadian and 40 million American adults over 18 years of age are considered to be obese. The younger generations are not doing any better. Up to 25% of the children in the US and Canada are considered to be overweight or obese.
Where are These Calories Coming From?
Empty calories exist in many refined or heavily processed foods. They are food additives that have no nutritional value associated with them – no protein, no vitamins, no minerals, no antioxidants, and no fibre – only calories. Empty calories occur in many forms. The most commonly form of an empty calorie is sugar. Sugars are added to all types of processed foods from whole wheat crackers to peanut butter.
The tolerated sugar consumption recommended for Americans is about 9 teaspoons a day for men and only 6 teaspoons a day for women. However, this is not what is happening. The average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar while teens consume 34 teaspoons.
Sugars that occur naturally in fruits and vegetables are an important part of healthy eating. They make a wonderful replacement for empty calories that are added to processed foods.
Where are Empty Calories Hiding?
Being unaware of the presence of sugar makes it hard to avoid it. A teenager eating 34 teaspoons of sugar a day seems unlikely. However, imagine them grabbing something to eat with their friends after school. They may consume a soft drink. A large 20-ounce soft drink will have about 16 teaspoons of sugar. Adding a chocolate bar will increase the sugar consumption by three to four teaspoons. Without blinking an eye, the teen’s sugar intake reaches 20 teaspoons in one sitting. This is more than twice the recommended amount for an adult male. Adding processed sugar laden cereal or syrup on pancakes in the morning will increase the count and 34 teaspoons of sugar is not far off.
Finding added sugar in processed foods is common. There are many forms of sugar and many names to watch for. Traditionally sugar came from sucrose, the sugar in sugar cane, sugar beets, honey and maple syrup. Since the 1970s corn has become a major player as a sweetener. Corn is heavily processed to make corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. It is sweeter than sucrose, extends the life time of products (acts as a preservative) and is an inexpensive way to sweeten food. Many food processors are using it in common foods.
There are other types of sugar. Watch labels for dextrose, glucose, fructose, maltodextrin, maltose and malt sugar. A food label with sugar as the first ingredient signifies that the main ingredient in that food is sugar. Ingredients are listed in order by quantity. The ingredient which makes up most of the product is listed first. The ingredient which occurs in the smallest amount is listed last on the ingredient list. When an ingredient list is viewed and many sugars occur at the beginning, it suggests that the food is made up mainly of empty calories. It also suggests that the food is not a good choice for healthy eating.
What Do Empty Calories Do?
Empty calories such as sugar have an unhealthy effect on blood glucose levels. Consuming refined sugars causes blood glucose levels to rise quickly, or spike. The spike in blood sugar level is followed by a sudden drop in blood glucose levels. This drop is most often recognized as fatigue or a lack of energy and sometimes as mood swings. Lack of energy and fatigue make a repeat of the high sugar, empty calories food seem appealing and the cycle repeats itself.
High-fructose corn syrup creates an additional problem. Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup inhibits the production of insulin and leptin in the body. Without these hormones, the body is unable to tell when it is satisfied and there is no signal to stop eating. Over eating when high-fructose corn syrup is in the food is easy and can lead to weight gain and obesity.
Maltodextrin is made from corn, potatoes and rice. It works in the same manner as high-fructose corn syrup and causes blood glucose levels to spike resulting in sugar cravings. Maltodextrin is the filler found in Splenda, an artificial sweetener.
Healthy Eating Choices
Avoiding processed foods as much as possible is a great step. Picking a piece of fruit to handle the sweet tooth is an excellent choice and move towards healthy eating. The time taken to eat the fruit gives the body the time needed to acknowledge that it is full. As well, the sudden rise in blood glucose levels will not occur and sugar cravings can be eliminated.
Try replacing a soda pop with a glass of water. Soda pop can also be replaced with vegetable juices or 100% fruit juices. (Note: Fruit drinks are usually sugar laden artificially flavoured beverages and not real juice). Fruit juices and vegetable juices are concentrated and they can be diluted with pure water.
Breakfast is considered to be the most important part of the day. Starting off the day with a bowl of processed cereal, about 1 ½ cups of cereal, means adding about 6 teaspoons of sugar. For a better start to the day, consider starting the day with an unprocessed cereal such as oatmeal. It can be sweetened with pieces of fruit or berries.
Yogurt is a nice quick snack but sweetened yogurt can be an unhealthy food choice and may contain up to seven teaspoons of sugar in six ounces of yogurt. Purchasing plain yogurt and adding fruit can be a healthy eating decision.
Be aware of the sugars that are in ketchup, barbecue sauce, relish, peanut butter, salad dressing and spaghetti sauce. Just a couple tablespoons of barbecue sauce or ketchup may contain a few teaspoons of sugar.
Often the additives in foods interfere with taste. Try slicing a tomato and experience the taste. Adding a salad to a meal instead of having a sugar treat after a meal will make an excellent food choice.
Many of the calories we consume are hidden in drinks. The abundance of coffee shops and the temptation of their fancy coffees with cream, syrup and toppings can greatly increase the amount of sugar consumed in a day. Many of these drinks should be considered as a dessert. Ask for a calorie count or sugar content before purchasing one.
There are many ways to avoid empty calories in a healthy diet. Reading food labels and being aware of sugar content in foods is an excellent first step to healthy eating. Replacing empty calories with fresh fruits and vegetables or water make excellent food choices. Eating foods that allow the body to feel full and satisfied will trigger the body to stop eating and will help to prevent obesity.
Sources:
World Regions Project. "Canada: Obesity" (accessed October 7, 2010).
AnneCollins.com. "Obesity Statistics" (accessed October 7, 2010).
