Sugar: It’s More Dangerous Than It Looks!

Sometimes I feel like people don’t give sugar enough credit. If you ask someone to list addictive substances, they’ll throw out things like nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine. But how many people are likely to say “sugar”? Not many, right? But those innocuous little crystals can be both extremely addictive and extremely damaging. Ask anyone who claims to have a “sweet tooth” how easy it is for them to stop eating things like cakes and candies. They’ll agree with me. And if they do manage to drastically limit their sugar intake, they’ll crave sugar all the time. Worse yet, unlike quitting smoking, they’ll still be regularly eating, in nearly every meal, those same sugars they’re addicted to and trying to cut back on. It’s no easy task.

I think the problem with getting sugar recognized as a harmful addictive substance is the fact that, in small amounts, it’s actually quite important for your body. And, at the same time, it’s delicious, making it a lot harder to deal with the concept of having some, but not too much. For example, consider smoking. Smoking is completely bad for your health, tastes horrible, and, because of the nicotine, is addictive. Now, imagine someone telling you “Smoke some cigarettes, but not too many.” Or, worse yet: “Have some heroine, but not too much.” Doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, right?

But with sugars, even Chris Powell and Reshape the Nation tell you to have some sugars, but not too much. What’s a sugar addict to do?

If a “sweet tooth” is a major culprit in your weight loss struggles, here’s some advice. You should approach cutting back on sugar-filled foods and candies as though you’re overcoming an addiction, because you are. In other words, you need to recognize that you have an addiction. You need a support system in place to help you overcome that addiction. And, perhaps most importantly, you must recognize that overcoming your addiction will not be an easy task. This last piece of advice is perhaps the most important when it comes to conquering your sugar addiction versus other types of addictions. Unlike those other harmful addictions, sugar isn’t publicized as an addictive substance. Nor is a sugar addiction publicized as something hard to overcome. As a result, when you have trouble overcoming yours—and you will—you’re likely to have the wrong perspective on the challenge you’re facing. You’ll get frustrated with yourself, and you’ll think you’re the only one with this problem and that no one else struggles with it like you do. But you’ll be wrong. Millions of people around the world struggle every day with a sugar addiction. Simply knowing you’re not alone in that battle might just be the missing piece you need in order to help win it.

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