New research has clarified the precise mechanisms through which excess dietary sugar causes damage that precedes any visible symptoms. Fructose consumed beyond hepatic metabolic capacity is converted to fat and stored in the liver, a process that begins with consumption levels well below what causes weight gain. The resulting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease affects an estimated 80 million Americans, most of whom are unaware of their condition.
Brain imaging studies have revealed that sugar activates reward circuitry in patterns similar to those observed in addictive substance use, providing a biological explanation for the difficulty many people experience in reducing sugar intake despite genuine motivation to do so. Public health researchers are calling for added sugar labeling reforms and restrictions on sugar marketing to children that parallel those successfully applied to tobacco advertising.
