US sugar consumption: Rising temperatures in the United States are driving up consumption of sugary drinks and, to a lesser extent, frozen desserts, adding more than 100 million pounds (about 358 million kg) of sugar to annual diets compared with 15 years ago, according to a study published Monday in Nature Climate Change.
Researchers from the US and UK matched daily weather conditions with purchase records from 40,000–60,000 American households between 2004 and 2019 and analysed product nutrition data. They found that added-sugar intake rose as temperatures climbed from 54°F to 86°F (12°C–30°C), peaking before tapering off above 86°F. The effect was strongest for sweetened beverages.
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“Climate change is shaping what you eat and how you eat,” said co-author Duo Chan of the University of Southampton, warning that higher intake of sweetened drinks under warming conditions could worsen health risks. Lead author Pan He of Cardiff University said the team used wind, precipitation and humidity records alongside detailed purchases to estimate the added sugar consumed per person per degree of warming.
While the average daily increase per person is small, the researchers said it accumulates over time. University of California, San Francisco endocrinologist Robert Lustig, who was not involved in the study, said that among lower-income Americans, an extra can of sugary soda a day raises diabetes risk by 29%, and temperature-related thirst likely contributes to obesity trends.
The study reported marked disparities. Men increased purchases of sugary soft drinks more than women; low- and very low-income households showed several-fold higher heat-related sugar increases than wealthier households; outdoor workers drank more sweetened beverages than indoor workers; and households with lower educational attainment had larger spikes.
White households showed the highest added-sugar effect; Asian American households showed no significant change. Researchers and clinicians cited targeted marketing, lower air-conditioning access, outdoor work exposure and concerns about tapwater taste in disadvantaged communities as factors.
The authors compared intake with American Heart Association limits, 36 g of added sugar per day for men and 25 g for women, and noted the United States has warmed by about 2.2°F (1.2°C) since 1895.
(Source: Nature Climate Change)
