There’s nothing sweet about what sugar does to our gut, brain and heart. But it’s obesity that we’ve got under the microscope today – after all, our high-sugar, ultra-processed diets are one of the leading causes of the uptick in cases around the globe. With the disease reaching epidemic proportions, it’s time to unveil the deceptively sweet influence sugar has on our bodies. Here are 3 ways your addiction to sugar could lead to obesity.

Obesity is a major public health issue in Australia, with the rates of obesity steadily increasing over the years. According to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 31% of Aussie adults were classified as obese, with a further 37% classified as overweight. That means almost 70% of the adult population around the country is overweight or obese. One of the biggest culprits may look small and unassuming, but sugar is anything but.

Obesity can lead to a range of health problems, including – but not limited to – the following:

• Liver disease
• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Autoimmune disease
• Circulatory diseases
• Skin conditions
• Reduced life expectancy
• Low energy
• Poor mental health

Here are 3 ways that our sugar habits are contributing to the soaring levels of obesity around the country – and the world.

Sugar wreaks havoc on your hormones

Our hormones regulate everything from blood-sugar levels to appetite and satiety – that means when these hormones get thrown off balance, we may find ourselves feeling hungry even when we’ve just eaten! You probably also know that consuming too much sugar can mess with our insulin – when we consume too much of the sweet stuff, the body produces insulin to help regulate blood-sugar levels. But over time, your body can become resistant to insulin, leading to weight gain, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sugar doesn’t sound so sweet now, does it?

Sugar-laden foods are often heavy in calories and low in nutrition

Sugar itself contains calories, but this isn’t the major problem – the foods we find added sugar in excess in are often loaded with trans fats, preservatives and other calorie-dense ingredients. The worst part is that our bodies can’t absorb many nutrients from these foods, leading to weight gain and poor nutrition. Fibre, for one, is a vital nutrient that slows the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream, while reducing the effect on our liver, thereby staving off excessive visceral fat. So, when you consume excess sugar, you're consuming excess calories that your body doesn't need. And you know what happens when your body doesn't need those calories? Yup, they turn into fat, and a long-term high-sugar diet leads to, you guessed it, obesity!

Sugar is addictive

The above problems are only compounded by the addictive nature of sugar. Consuming sugar triggers the release of dopamine, lighting up the brain’s reward system. This can them lock us in a cycle of sugar-seeking behaviours as we aim to get that high again. So, many of us know how bad the sweet stuff is for us, but we just can’t seem to stop the cycle. That’s why we’re here. We know all about sugar addiction and the health issues that come with it – we also know the tried-and-true techniques to stop that addiction in its tracks.

Need a bit of help fighting off a stubborn sugar addiction? We're here to help. Join us for the 8-Week Program where we’ll be quitting sugar and turning our health dreams into a reality. When you sign up with us, you’ll have access to clear-cut meal plans, community support and exclusive access to our sugar-free content. Here’s what’s on offer:

1. 8 weeks of meal plans and shopping lists.
2. 90+ member-only recipes.
3. Community forums to share your journey.
4. Support and guidance from the I Quit Sugar team.
5. Exclusive content from our panel of experts.

So, if you’re ready to ditch sugar and the host of maladies that come with it, it’s not too late to JOIN NOW!