The Rise of Sugar Consumption in the UK: A Public Health Crisis

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Health Policy and Social Trends
Health policy and social trends
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Introduction:
Over a decade ago, the United Kingdom was a hub of the sugar empire. Having control over a
100 refineries, the UK surged the flow of sugar. But as we go deeper within, the history of the
sugar industry in the United Kingdom unfolds. Since 1704, when the consumption of the sugar in
the United Kingdom was just about 4 pounds per person, per year, the numbers have sky
rocketed to over 150 pounds per person, per year. But the question still remains, ‘How did the
expensive rarity among the elite Brits transform into dirt cheap, ubiquitous commodity on the
tables and in the mouths of all citizens from princes to paupers (Davis, 2015).
Main causes:
It is to be believed that there are two main causes for the increment in the sugar level. The first
cause is historical and the second cause is chemical along with the organic structure which is
present in the human brain. The main involvement if the two causes are cheaply available to the
people residing in the public in terms of the wealth and increase consumption of the sugary food
that mainly targets the soft regions of the brain which can impact the people under all age
groups.
The first reason for the dramatic increase is slavery. The enslavement and transportation of over
a million of African slaves to the American people where coffee, sugar, tobacco, rice, cotton, and
cocoa could be develop in the high level of quantity was the beginning of the sugar pulp. The
manufacture of these products were highly exported to the Britain where the improved appetites

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of the population demanded an ever improvement supply of these now not expensive products
and services. Many slaves were paid less wages or no wages which is given only less food in
diet, housing, and clothing to perform the task, or overhead of the sugar planters was quite less as
compared to how much amount has to be paid to the voluntary paid laborers (Davis, 2015).
This made the sugar cheaper and lead to a surge in the demand.
The second reason for the surge of sugar is our brain. Our brains are the certain centers which are
considered proactive to sweetness. Over the years the transformation of sweetness changed from
wild berries to sugar. However, the high process in the early 1700s was restricted by the
extraordinary prices of sugar and the introduction of the costly honey did no good. Even though
World War 1 and 2 might have caused a drastic decline in the demand due to extreme rationing,
the conditions did not seem to change in a long run.
Over the years a lot of things have changed in the United Kingdom, but one thing that remained
constant; the unleashed demand for sugar and its consumption. According to the WHO report of
2017 – 18, the statistics show the daily intake of sugar by a teenager in the United Kingdom is
75.8 grams more than the required number. The official recommendation from the government is
to limit sugar to no more than 5% - includes alcohol drinks, cakes, buns, puddings, table sugars,
fruits, confectionary, and breakfast cereals (Davis, 2015).
The excess consumption of these sugary treats has been a main cause of increase in type -2 suagr
content cases in the UK. According to the AHPO diabetes report, it is evaluated that more than
around 16 people in the UK as of 2016. It is to be believed that by 2024, it could be evaluated
that 5 million people will have sugar in the UK. These kind of the health problem sich as sugar,
obesity could be rise with the high pace.

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It is to be evaluated that around two people in every 3 people in the UK are highly comes under
the obesity category. It is to be believed that increase in the young to adult people who are taking
sugar foods has been increased from 14% in 1992 to 27% in 2016 for the boys along with this
from 15 % to 29% for women. This disease has been considered as the main reason for the
deprivation. The main income of these people is 2.4 times more likely to have this disease which
is a great major level for people concern.
The risk of these diseases has led to a downfall of the average life expectancy in the United
Kingdom. People who are residing in Wales and England are 40% commonly to die in the early
years as compare to their peers.
For Type 1 diabetes, mortality is 129.5% greater than expected and for Type 2 diabetes it is
34.5% greater. The greatest increased risk of death is in younger ages and in females. The
financial cost is currently estimated that about £10 billion is spent by the NHS on diabetes. This
creates a heavy liability to the government of the United Kingdom. The total cost (direct care and
indirect costs) associated with diabetes in the UK currently stands at £23.7 billion and is predicted
to rise to £39.8 billion by 2035.
The United Kingdom health and social care facility has been trying and working all along to
curb the ever growing menace. They have implemented various policies like: “Public Health
Sugar reduction Policies”. The objective of these policies is to restrict the excess consumption of
sugar by the public and improve their dietary habits. They have also introduced the Public Health
England (PHE) with initiatives like the Change for Life campaign ‘Sugar Swaps’, which
encourages families to swap sugary foods for healthier alternatives (Bird, 2017).

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It is to be believed that financial cost has been evaluated that nearby 10 billion Euros has been
spent by the government on diabetes which creates a obligation to the UK government. The total
amount of the cost which is both direct and indirect cost related to the disease in the United
Kingdom mainly stands at 23 billion Euros and also has been evaluated to rise by 38% till 2034
(Greg, 2017).
The United Kingdom social care and health facility has been trying and doing their best to turn
down the threat. People have also used multiple policies like Public Health Sugar Reduction
policies as the main vision of these policies is to stop the high consumption of sugar by the
people to improve their health at all levels. Public Health England has also been introduced with
the initiatives like change for life campaign which is sugar swaps that motivates the families to
stop the sugary foods which impacts the people health in number of ways. The UK government
has prepared many interventions to lower the sugary content in the multiple foods products with
the help of the lowered content size and reformulation. The less sugar in the products helps in
reducing the sugar content by adding fruits pulp, adding dietary fiber, and many more things that
can help and add health to the people life style. These kinds of measures helps the people in
taking caring of life by using effective products which uses sugar content by adding natural sugar
from multiple fruits and natural vegetation.
The main concerns of the people to these products happen to the environment created by the
retail. Marketing, price, and promotions in the retail sector are the main key factors of the food
choices. People get largely affected by the marketing of these products which attracts them to
purchase it once (Bird, 2017). With the effective marketing, children are highly attracted towards
the sugary food which impacts their health badly or can ruin their health directly or indirectly.
An effective review has been found that high promotions are mainly common for these products

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and services specifically in the biscuits, cakes and drinks etc. Along with this, some of the
products increase the sugary content just to make the products as per the taste of the kids which
is a major matter of concern. It is to be believed that nearby 40% of the families on the drink and
food is purchased the food based on the promotion which could also been seen in Germany and
other countries. It is to be argued that PHE has also made sure to limit the marketing of
unhealthy sugar products on the televisions and also on online platforms and also take further
steps to spread awareness regarding the less use of sugary products for the people under all age
groups. It is to be believed that PHE has also asked the companies to limit the marketing of sugar
which increases the products by 17% in 2018 (Greg, 2017).
The government bodies have also introduced multiple fiscal measures like taxation and
agriculture policies on the products which have high level of sugar content. The policies related
to the agriculture were introduced with the mission to improve the health of the public by making
strategy in the pricing and content of the concerned products and services. The government has
also introduced minimum price strategy to reduce the company products so that they could be
able to sell these products minimum or can manufacture these products as less as can to take care
of the public health in every possible way (Bird, 2017). Multiple researcher has been argued that
reduction in the price level make the use of the sugar large as people may want to increase it
more at the affordable price so that companies may wish to increase the manufacturing process
to fulfill the consumer demands accordingly. The research believed that sugar pulp or natural
sugar can be highly used to make the products sugary at all levels. This could be assumed as a
great source for the children sugar as per their demand and tastes. It is to be believed that heavy
tax on the sugary foods could reduce the level of consumption for these products and services
and it also increase the further formulation. It is to be believed that reducing the level of sugar in

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the drinks by around 40% over the 5 years which could also prevent 200,000 cases of type II
diabetes and around one million cases of the obesity for two years. It is to be said that price of
these sugar food must be increases by the 20% so that people would be purchase the products
less as compare to the previous prices. These increase level of process has been advocated by the
multiple health department and giving green signal to them at all levels (Davis, 2015).

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Conclusion:
The assignment is mainly about the increased consumption of the sugar. It is to be believed that
nearby 40% of the families on the drink and food is purchased the food based on the promotion
which could also been seen in Germany and other countries. The government bodies have also
introduced multiple fiscal measures like taxation and agriculture policies on the products which
have high level of sugar content. The policies related to the agriculture were introduced with the
mission to improve the health of the public by making strategy in the pricing and content of the
concerned products and services.

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References:
Bird, F. B. (2017). The muted conscience: Moral silence and the practice of ethics in business.
Westport, CT: Quorum, 7(34). pp. 45-56.
Boyle, M., & Lewis, L. (2015). Fundamental Rights in Patient Care. The American Journal Of
Health Sector, 76(9), pp. 1512- 1518. doi: 10.2307/3424093
Davis, J. (2015). An Ethical Debate: Ethical issues. BMJ, 310(6983), pp. 858-858.
Greg, R. (2017). An International Code of Ethics for doctors. Nursing Ethics, 1(1), pp. 58-59.
O'Leary, B. (2015). 9. Health leader is responsible for the quality of care given to the patient
under their supervision. journal of Health leadership, 11(5), pp.1128-1149
Rao, A. (2018).Traits of a successful leader . Journal of leadership, 213(5), pp.734-739.