Sugar Substitutes: Friend or Faux to the American Culture?

Sweet n'Low, Equal, Splenda - tons of names and sugar additives are provided to our society, but for what purpose? Sugar substitutes stand by the idea that people who still want the presence of sugar in their food can experience sweetness and the guilty pleasure of sugar without the caloric impact. Sugar substitutes are not happenstance additives that occasionally make an appearance in the diets of American people. There are a number of sugar substitutes provided by the food industry for people to escape to. Their presence in food is almost haunting; it can show up in the most seemingly natural food. Not only that, but the taste between faux sugar and the real thing is obvious and disappointing. Data has also shown that many sugar additives actually provide more harm than good on the human body. If humans are what they eat, then are they ready to trade that mere teaspoon of natural sugar in for a plethora of chemicals?

Additives can say a lot about the values of American culture. Sugar substitutes demonstrate an obsessive quality that plagues society. People feel the need to count every calorie, every sip, every grain of a product. Why? Because they can. As human beings and Americans, individuals have and love the ability to maintain control over as many aspects of their lives as they can, including one's diet. They are infatuated with weight and appearance as well, which one would think translates to health in terms of concern. However, if dieters were truly interested in their health, they would be using natural sugar in moderation. The usage of sugar substitutes is very paradoxical in this way. Contemporary Americans need to take a broader look at the positive and negative effects of sugar substitutes before treating it as a highly consumed product that makes its mark on society.