There is a plethora of health concerns and issues when it comes to the well being of Americans today. Cancer, heart disease and pneumonia are fatal diseases that reach thousands of people. Many overlook disease and disregard their personal health. How one may take care of themselves and their diet can determine many things. Due to these components, the most common and high risk disease Americans are faced with today is obesity.

Obesity is the elephant in the room; everyone can see and identify it, but no one is willing to address the individuals or the pressing issue obesity presents.

Obesity is the top cause of disease and death in the U.S. John Mowatt writes about tempting additions to food; sugar.

“Sugar is a product which the human body does not process well. We are not designed to consume the large quantities of sugar that have become a part of our modern diet.” Mowatt said. “Whether that sugar be sucrose (cane sugar), fructose or glucose it is definitely advisable to keep its consumption to a minimum.”

We are all becoming prisoners to our own cravings, And what has become one of the greatest cravings of all is our desire for sugar.

Candy, carbonated drinks, sweet rolls and preserved food items tend to appeal and temp most because of their enticing appearance and flavorful tastes. Eating habits of todays youth is quickly becoming compromised because of the availability of fast food and prepackaged items. Quick and easy is usually the answer, but because of this, teens, children and young adults are putting their health and lives at risk.

Students lack the understanding and knowledge of the problems that sugar may cause and the effects it has on the human body.

According to Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar sugar gets its name from a substance found in many natural foods.

“Sugar is the generalized name for a class of chemically-related sweet-flavored substances,” Dietriffic said. “Most of which are used as food, such as fruits, honey, plants, and grains.”

Personal trainer, and new Physical Education teacher Ericlee Gilmore beleives sugar is a poison to our bodies.

“Anytime we have consumed a considerable amount of sugar, there are a stream of bad things that happen to your body, one of those things is cancer,” Gilmore said. “Sugar used to only be found in candy but now it is in everything, making people more at risk to having cancer. Ways students can take care of their bodies is by making healthy choices and also by exercising more.

“Glucose is one of the sugars that are found in our blood.” When we eat foods such as pasta or bread, the sugars and starch from the food is digested and broken down into simple sugars. Glucose is needed for our bodies to function, but it is when we overdose our intake of sugar filled foods, that is when our health is put in jeopardy.

Sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, both of these sugars, are fairly similar in their functions, and in what they contribute to our bodies.

The ingredients that make up sugar, fructose and sucrose contain harmful chemicals that can damage your body, according to lifehacker.com.

“They are both highly sweet and they both contain a large amount of fructose,” Lifehacker said. “Sucrose is 50% fructose and high fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose. These are fairly high amounts compared to normal corn syrup. In most cases, fructose is bad for you because of how it’s processed by the body. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver, which is not a good thing.”

The more sugar that our bodies take in, the more we crave it. The cravings we have for sugar are not natural reactions. Our bodies also crave carbs; carbs are broken down into simple sugars. School secretary Vicky Belmont explains the functions and sugar.

“We don?t need to worry about our sugar intake,” Vicky Belmont said. “The amount of carbs we consume, is what is most important. Carbs, when they are broken down in your body, become a simple sugar, which in turn becomes sugar which will raise your blood sugar.”

Our obsession for sugar is becoming an issue. It has become an imminent addiction that many people are dealing with, but yet we ourselves do not do anything to fight it off.

As teens high calorie foods and drinks that are drowned in sugar are necessary for a ?satisfying? snack or meal. It has become almost as necessary as sleeping.

Soda is one of the leading causes of teen obesity. It is the favored beverage of many teens. It is high in sugar and high in calories.

There is absolutely no nutritional value to soda. It is water mixed with syrup and the darker it is the more unhealthy.

(PODCAST) Truth about sugar: Oct. 22, 2013–

Junior Ashley Garcia sees the danger of intaking too much sugar but decides to somewhat overlook the consequences.

“I drink soda all the time; I know it’s not good for me but I like it,” Garcia said. “Most of the foods that us teens eat are probably eaten based off of if it tastes good. Thats why I personally enjoy having sugar, I know its not the best for me but I like it anyway.”

Teenage girls are far more at risk to being overweight than their male counterparts. Their bodies finish developing around the age of 18 to 19, bodies expand and they are more easily affected by foods than boys are.

Vicki Belmont and believes students should stay away from the more processed foods.

“Students need to eat natural foods, other than processed foods,” Belmont, said. “Processed foods have a lot of unnecessary sugar, and other additives. Maybe eating a banana or apple.”

The average intake of sugar for adolescent males was 143 grams per day, which is a much bigger amount of total carbohydrates needed for the body.

Sugar is a necessary aliment for the human body. Consuming sugar at moderation is okay and also very much needed for our bodies. Our bodies need sugar for the energy it contains. Carbs have been made out to be a total enemy for our bodies but it is what is put into the carbs that makes it our enemy. We need to be active to allow those fats and sugars to be digested and processed properly.

Doing activities such as biking, running and jogging allows students bodies to combat diseases. It boosts their mood, self-esteem and gives them energy that they can not find in foods.

Making a straight cut, and totally kicking sugar out your diet is not easy, so instead of straight eliminating, it is easier to make a transition to fruits and plants. Fruits contain sugar, but also contain fiber, which is more easily digestible, and allows the digestive system to flow more easily.

Sugar has it benefits, other than its scrumptious flavor but people of today need to be more attentive to what is being consumed by their bodies.