We are often asked whether sugar is the cause of people being overweight or obese.
A short answer is that yes, if you eat too much sugar, too often, you are likely to put on weight. But it’s also true that most people don’t just eat sugar on its own.
A healthy diet means we need to ensure our daily meals consist of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean protein from meat and/or legumes, seeds and nuts and whole grains. We need to limit our enjoyment of certain foods like sweets, cakes and biscuits. Similarly, drinks like milkshakes or lemonade and alcohol need to be viewed as a treat and not a daily habit. Fresh water is the best way to quench a thirst.
People who are overweight or obese may also find it difficult to keep physically active. Over the long-term, little or no exercise can lead to health issues such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.
According to the latest government statistics, over 12.5 million people or 67 per cent of Australians were overweight or obese in 2017/18 (Australian Bureau of Statistics).
Check out the Resources links to find out more.
We support efforts to do more to ensure that everyone understands the facts and is able to make informed choices about their sugar consumption.
Physically active
As cane growers and sugar millers, we do not shy away from the fact that people can consume too much sugar and we certainly don’t want our product to cause harm.
