{"id":3754,"date":"2011-04-20T20:00:04","date_gmt":"2011-04-21T00:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ehealth.cooperhealth.org\/?p=3754"},"modified":"2011-04-20T20:00:04","modified_gmt":"2011-04-21T00:00:04","slug":"sugar-and-the-middle-age-spread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cooperhealth.org\/ehealth\/2011\/04\/20\/sugar-and-the-middle-age-spread\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugar and the Middle-Age Spread"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sugar\"The more sugar you eat, the wider your girth may be, the results of a recent study suggest.<\/p>\n

Reported last month at the American Heart Association\u2019s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism\/Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention 2011 Scientific Sessions, the study analyzed data on food intake and body weight collected on residents in Minneapolis-St. Paul over 27 years. Although the original data focused on heart health, the new study looked at what impact added sugar had on participants’ weight during that period.<\/p>\n

Added sugar is sugar that is added to processed foods, as well as sweeteners added in home cooking and at the table.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to cardiovascular disease and dietary controls, most of the focus has been on fats, but carbohydrates \u2013 sugars \u2013 are a big component of weight gain and the cardiovascular risk that results,\u201d said Cooper University Hospital cardiologist Kathleen M. Heintz, DO, FACC, a specialist in women and heart disease at the Cooper Heart Institute.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re eating more sugar<\/h3>\n

Among the women in the study, consumption of added sugar rose by 51 percent from 1980-82 to 2000-2002 and then declined somewhat, according to the research. Men followed the same pattern, increasing their intake of added sugar by 38 percent.<\/p>\n

The participants’ weight mimicked that fluctuation. When sugar consumption increased, so did the average BMI (body mass index). Added sugars and body weight are increasing concurrently, the study authors reported.<\/p>\n

These findings pose a particular threat for women, Dr. Heintz noted.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs women reach menopause \u2013 the average age being 52 \u2013 metabolism slows down and causes a weight gain of 1.5 pounds per year for the rest of their lives. It\u2019s mostly abdominal fat \u2013 the \u2018middle-age spread\u2019 \u2013 and the only way to combat this almost inevitable weight gain is to cut back on sugar, and exercise on a regular basis,\u201d Dr. Heintz said.<\/p>\n

Increases in weight can have ramifications for your heart health as well as your level of fitness, and result in metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of risk factors that increases your chance of developing heart disease, stroke and diabetes. According to a national health survey, more than one in five Americans has metabolic syndrome. The number of people with metabolic syndrome increases with age. It is characterized by a waistline of 40 inches or more for men and 35 inches or more for women (measured across the belly); a blood pressure level of 130\/85 or higher (or the use of blood pressure medications); and higher-than-recommended levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood glucose (sugar).<\/p>\n

Limit added sugar<\/h3>\n

According to guidelines set by the American Heart Association (AHA), most women should eat no more than 100 calories of added sugars a day, and most men should consume no more than 150 calories of added sugars a day. That\u2019s about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons for men. (The AHA guidelines do not apply to naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruit, vegetables or dairy products.)<\/p>\n

For those reading packaging labels, where sugar is listed in grams, 4 grams = 1 teaspoon of sugar. However, packaging labels do not differentiate between added sugars and natural sugars. For instance, one cup of skim milk has 12 grams of sugar, yet no sugar has been \u201cadded\u201d to it.<\/p>\n

Spotting added sugar on food labels requires a bit of detective work. You have to scan the ingredients list of a food or drink to find the added sugar. (For help, see \u201cIdentifying added sugar\u201d below.)<\/p>\n

The obvious sources of added sugar can be found in such foods as desserts, but also in such unexpected foods as granola bars, many fruit smoothies, and some trail mixes.<\/p>\n

Foods that contain most of the added sugars in American diets are:<\/p>\n