CLEAR UP YOUR CONSUMERS’ CONFUSION AbOUt SWEEtENERS.

FACt VS. MYtH:

ObESItY IS A COMPLICAtED ISSUE.The obesity epidemic is as prevalent as it is complex. There is no clear-cut reason why global weight gain is on the rise. However, we do know tHat our society consumes 20% more calories tHan it did in 1970.

tHAt MEANS YOUR CONSUMERS EAt 425 CALORIES MORE PER DAY—EqUIVALENt tO ONE CHEESECAkE.

19702,169 CALORIES

20092,594 CALORIES

AVERAGE DAILY PER CAPITA CALORIES CONSUMED 1970 TO 2009

+425 CALORIES (+20%)

SEPARAtE MYtH FROM FACt.SEE HOW SCIENCE CAN EMPOWER YOU tO COMMUNICAtE tHE tRUtH tO YOUR FOOD AND bEVERAgE CONSUMERS.

[MYtH] OR [FACt]?

RECENt RESEARCH SHOWS tHAt MOSt OF tHE U.S. POPULAtION gROSSLY ExCEEDS ItS RECOMMENDED SWEEtENER INtAkE.

MYtH: MOSt OF tHE U.S. POPULAtION gROSSLY ExCEEDS ItS RECOMMENDED SWEEtENER INtAkE.

FACt: ONLY 13% OF tHE U.S. POPULAtION CONSUMES MORE tHAN tHE RECOMMENDED 25% OF tOtAL ENERgY FROM SWEEtENERS.

[MYtH] OR [FACt]?

SWEEtENER INtAkE CONtINUES tO RISE AS tHE RAtE OF ObESItY RISES.

MYtH: SWEEtENER INtAkE CONtINUES tO RISE AS tHE RAtE OF ObESItY RISES.

FACt: IN tHE PASt DECADE, tHE AbSOLUtE INtAkE OF SWEEtENERS IS DOWN bY 23.4%. tHE MEAN PERCENtAgE OF tOtAL ENERgY FROM SUgARS IS DOWN bY 4%.YEt ObESItY RAtES CONtINUE tO CLIMb.

[MYtH] OR [FACt]?

ON AVERAgE, ObESE INDIVIDUALS CONSUME MORE tHAN tHEIR RECOMMENDED AMOUNt OF ENERgY (25%) FROM SWEEtENERS.

MYtH: ON AVERAgE, ObESE INDIVIDUALS CONSUME MORE tHAN tHEIR RECOMMENDED AMOUNt OF ENERgY (25%) FROM SWEEtENERS.

FACt: tHE MAjORItY OF OVERWEIgHt OR ObESE INDIVIDUALS CONSUMED LESS tHAN 15% OF tHEIR tOtAL ENERgY INtAkE FROM ADDED SWEEtENERS.

[MYtH] OR [FACt]?

ON AVERAgE, YOUtH AgED 2-19 CONSUMED MORE tHAN tHEIR RECOMMENDED AMOUNt OF ENERgY FROM SWEEtENERS.

MYtH: ON AVERAgE, YOUtH AgED 2-19 CONSUMED MORE tHAN tHEIR RECOMMENDED AMOUNt OF ENERgY FROM SWEEtENERS.

FACt: ON AVERAgE, YOUtH AgED 2-19 CONSUMED APPROxIMAtELY 16% OF tHEIR tOtAL ENERgY FROM SWEEtENERS— 9% LESS tHAN tHE RECOMMENDED AMOUNt.

[MYtH] OR [FACt]?

CHILDREN WHO gROW UP IN LESS AFFLUENt HOUSEHOLDS ARE MORE LIkELY tO CONSUME gREAtER qUANtItIES OF SWEEtENERS.

MYtH: CHILDREN WHO gROW UP IN LESS AFFLUENt HOUSEHOLDS ARE MORE LIkELY tO CONSUME gREAtER qUANtItIES OF SWEEtENERS.

FACt: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENtS CONSUMED APPROxIMAtELY tHE SAME PERCENtAgE OF ADDED SWEEtENERS PER tOtAL CALORIC INtAkE, REgARDLESS OF tHEIR SOCIOECONOMIC StAtUS.

bEYOND tHE HYPE: YOUR CONSUMERS HAVE qUEStIONS.

A “spoonful of sugar” is 16 calories—no matter the kind. Whether your consumers are choosing table sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), substantial scientific research shows that the body metabolizes them the same way.

Yet, as obesity rises, consumers have blamed both HFCS and table sugar as the chief causes, provoking the question: Are they right?

IS tHE OVERCONSUMPtION OF SUgARS RESPONSIbLE FOR tHE ObESItY EPIDEMIC?

SWEEtENER CONSUMPtION IS NOt RESPONSIbLE FOR tHE ObESItY EPIDEMIC.

While general overconsumption is clearly one of the many causes of our increasing waistlines, research shows that the link between sweetener consumption and the growing obese population is simply not there.

still, altHougH consumers avoid sugar more tHan any otHer ingredient, tHe total amount of sugar— not tHe type of sugar—continues to be tHeir most critical concern.

SEE HOW THE SCIENCE OF SWEETENERS impacts your business. >

gEt tHE FACtS.

DISPEL tHE MYtHS.