Call on the Surgeon General to Curb Sugar Consumption
As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Surgeon General's landmark report on smoking and health, now is the time to urge the Acting Surgeon General to advise the public on the science behind another health threat facing our society—the overload of sugar in our diet.
Independent science shows that Americans' consumption of sugar laden-foods is making us sick. Yet, despite what reliable science and public health information suggests, it has become an uphill battle to create policies in the United States that would increase our access to healthier food or help us know the truth behind how much "added sugars" is actually in our food.
Through powerful lobbying efforts, attacks on independent studies, and misinformation campaigns, the food industry has continued to obscure the science and block policy efforts to address the health effects of sugar. We can no longer let the junk food industry's deceptive marketing and lobbying tactics keep us from healthy foods and block our right to know what we're really eating. We need trusted, influential voices to help lead the charge toward healthier, science-based food polices.
We can't let the food industry's financial interests trump our health any longer.
Sincerely,
Danielle Fox
Outreach Coordinator
Center for Science and Democracy
Union of Concerned Scientists
P.S. For more information, check out our new report, Added Sugar, Subtracted Science: How Industry Obscures Science and Undermines Public Health Policy on Sugar.