Lifestyle diseases are those diseases that come about based on one’s diet. In Jamaica, with an increase in obesity rate by 68.3% between 2010-2017, lifestyle diseases may not just refer to an ailment, but a social norm if preventative measures are not taken. 

Gone are the days where the scourge of the communicable are our main concern. In this day of sedentary living, it is the non-communicable, insidious attacks of diseases like Diabetes that affect us. Sugar is the main antagonist. 

Children are said to be the future. In the smile of every child we see the glimmering hope of a brighter day. But how bright is a smile with cavity-filled teeth? For how long will we develop our children intellectually to only be able to use that intellect to find cures for diseases that were self-inflicted? Counter-intuitive. The Centre for Science in the Public interest posits that excess calories from Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are one of the most significant contributors to obesity. 

But here are some other deadly effects of eating too much sugar.

1. Sugar causes Heart Disease – Neha Jadeja Pagidipati, MD and Thomas A. Gaziano, MD, MSc have pointed to the fact that sugar is a significant contributor to heart disease as it causes inflammation and build-up for triglycerides which are deadly to the heart.

2. My strange sugar addiction – Yes, WebMD has posted the news, who would’ve thought that you could have been addicted to sugar? But for real, on a scientific level, it basically causes a buildup of dopamine that we get tolerant to, which leads to cravings. Some would even go as far as to call it a drug.

3. Teeth black like a piece a’ coal – You won’t be like Tanto Blacks with too much sugar. Your teeth won’t be white like a piece a’ chalk, it’ll be black like a piece a’ coal. I don’t even have to get deep in the science with this one, hasn’t mom told you enough?

4. Skin nah guh too pretty – An article by Healthline quotes: “A diet high in refined carbs, including sugary foods and drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of developing acne.” So if you wanna keep that clean skin, sugar is not the way to go!

5. Bad for sexual health – So I’m no expert on this, and I don’t plan to be anytime soon but it’s good to know these things. Studies have also suggested that high sugar can cause impotence in males and is not very good for sexual health. You can read more about this on WebMD if you’re getting as scared as I am.

So yeah, sugar… not so sweet after all, huh?

— Fabrizio Darby