10 Warning Signs You May Be Eating Too Much Sugar
Eating sugar occasionally isn’t a problem for most people. The bigger concern is consistently consuming too much added sugar, particularly from sugary drinks, sweets, desserts and highly processed foods. High intake is associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk and tooth decay.
1. Your weight keeps creeping up
Added sugar provides calories with relatively little nutritional value. Regularly consuming sugary foods or drinks can make it easier to take in more calories than your body needs.
2. You frequently crave something sweet
A strong preference for sweets can make it difficult to cut back, particularly when sugary foods have become part of your daily routine.
3. You feel tired or sluggish
Large amounts of sugary foods can contribute to fluctuations in blood glucose and may leave you feeling less energetic afterward. Persistent fatigue, however, has many possible causes and shouldn’t automatically be blamed on sugar.
4. You’re drinking lots of sugary beverages
Soda, sweetened tea or coffee, energy drinks and other sweetened beverages can deliver substantial amounts of added sugar quickly. Sugary drinks are one of the major sources of added sugar.
5. Your waistline is increasing
Regularly taking in excess calories from added sugar can contribute to increased body weight and waist size.
6. You have more dental problems
Frequent exposure to sugars increases the risk of tooth decay and cavities.
7. Your blood pressure or triglycerides are elevated
High added-sugar intake has been associated with unfavorable cardiometabolic measures, including higher triglycerides and blood pressure.
8. Your blood sugar is running high
Persistently elevated blood glucose can be a sign of prediabetes or diabetes. Don’t assume it’s simply because you ate too much sugar—blood testing is needed to determine the cause.
9. Your diet is replacing nutritious foods with sweet foods
If desserts, candy or sweetened drinks are regularly taking the place of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes or protein-rich foods, your overall diet quality can suffer.
10. You regularly exceed recommended limits
A useful reality check is to look at the “Added Sugars” line on nutrition labels. U.S. dietary guidance recommends keeping added sugars below 10% of daily calories; the American Heart Association suggests an even lower limit—about 25 g/day for most women and 36 g/day for most
