By Dean L. Jones

It is remarkably coincidental that today (11-4-15) is National Candy Day, and simultaneously National Eating Healthy Day.  Branding a day for a product can only mean — more money!  For instance, annually in the United States alone, the candy industry generates about $35 billion in retail sales and the health and wellness industry revenue is close to $300 billion.

Aside from all of the money garnered by these differing industries, the overriding fact is the makers [and others] of any foodstuff/beverage attempt to find out who, what, when, where, why and how it is consumed.  The ingestion of foodstuff reaches a large range including comedy/entertainment, where Jimmy Kimmel Live once again invited his parental viewers to trick their respective offspring(s) by recording reactions to: “I Told My Kids I Ate All Their Halloween Candy.”

Well, if you have not seen this reality situation it is attention-grabbing from the stand point it potentially places an indelible memory on a child’s physic.  The most common reaction from the children is that they hate their parent for doing it; some are in disbelief that anyone could be so cruel, to those that throw nearly endless tantrums.  There are kids who literally attack the video camera in an effort to strike the parent delivering such unspeakable news.

If it were anything but candy, I wonder if there is another food/beverage’s confiscation that could generate such a reaction of scornfulness.  These reactions are fairly suggestive of what adults do when they are restrained from their alcohol/drug obsessions.  Accordingly, the children’s reactions are startlingly enough to reactivate the debate on the effect of processed sugar intake on children’s behavior.

Historically, the common belief is that processed sugar in foodstuff will harmfully impact a child’s behavior.  Although the majority of doctors have dismissed this as a myth that large amounts of sugar intake does not produce hypoglycemia or other blood sugar abnormalities in the children.  Even though, the medical community is in agreement in recommending fresh fruits and vegetables to favorably treat all types of illnesses from hypertension, diabetes, heart disease to most cancers.

So, this leaves the obvious state of affairs that ingesting too much processed sugary-filled items has the potential of being an introductory addictive substance since it apparently causes such a depressing reaction when removed.  There are enough tangible negatives to address a reason to avoid the processed sugary-filled items where scientifically it is accepted that it causes tooth decay and increases the risk for obesity.

Particularly in children, ingesting too much processed sugar weakens the body’s immune system and thereby permits the intrusions of frequent colds, allergies, chronic runny noses, excessive mucus, stomachaches, coughs and symptoms of sinus infections.  Then, by knowing the chance of an early on obsession of processed sugar stands to reason to be decidedly SugarAlert!

www.SugarAlert.com
Mr. Jones is a marketing strategist with the Southland Partnership Corporation (a public benefit organization), sharing his view on mismanagement practices of packaged foods & beverages.