Added Sugar Constitutes 13 Percent of Daily Caloric Intake for Americans, Says CDC Report

A recent report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) has allegedly found that “approximately 13% of adults’ total caloric
intakes came from added sugars between 2005 and 2010” despite government
recommendations that “no more than 5% to 15% of calories should
come from solid fats and added sugars.” R. Bethene Ervin, et al., “Consumption
of Added Sugars Among U.S. Adults, 2005-2010,” NCHS Data Brief, May
2013. Based on data from the Natonal Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey 2005-2010, the report also suggested that (i) “men consumed a larger
amount of calories from added sugars than women, but not when their
added sugar intakes were expressed as a percentage of total calories,” and (ii)
“the percentage of calories from added sugars increased with increasing age
for children and adolescents, but there was no difference in added sugars
consumption between income groups.”

In addition, CDC researchers noted that “more of the calories from added
sugars came from foods rather than beverages.” For adults, beverages
contributed 33 percent of calories from added sugars, while for children and
adolescents, beverages contributed 40 percent of calories from added sugars.
“However, previous research has shown that when foods and beverages are
separated into specific food or beverage items, regular sodas are the leading
food sources of added sugars, at least for adults aged 18-54,” concluded the
report’s authors. “Regardless of whether the added sugars are from food or
beverages, the majority of the calories from added sugars as well as total
calories are consumed at home by both adults and youth.”