Article of the Day

Questions for: ‘A Month Without Sugar’


Article: A Month Without Sugar

Before Reading

Health experts recommend that adults eat no more than 50 grams of sugar a day, with a goal closer to 25 grams. Take this Times interactive quiz to construct a day’s worth of eating from items at a typical supermarket, and see if you meet the guidelines.

Were you surprised at the results? Share your findings with a friend or family member, and discuss what you know about the negative health effects of a sugary diet.

Questions for Comprehension and Analysis

1. What is the Times writer David Leonhardt’s challenge to readers? What is the problem with eating too much sugar?

2. What is the difference between “added” sugars and “natural” sugars? How has the growing understanding of sugar’s dangers led to a backlash, both in politics and in our diets?

3. Why is there a tax on sweetened drinks in many cities all over the world now? Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not?

4. What meal has become “a lower-fat version of dessert,” according to the author Gary Taubes? Why? What does he recommend eating instead? What foods are allowed in unlimited amounts, according to the article? Why?

5. Why does Mr. Leonhardt “read every ingredient list, looking especially for words that end in ‘-ose’?” Why doesn’t he trust the nutrition facts table next to the ingredient list? What else does he recommend doing to become a savvy and educated sugar consumer?

6. What happened to Mr. Leonhardt’s taste buds over the month he eliminated added sugars in his diet? What did he miss the most, and what are some of the benefits of his challenge to eliminate added sugars?

What Do You Think?

Has this quiz and article given you new information? Do you think you eat too much sugar? If so, are you ready to take the challenge to eliminate sugar for a month? What are the ways you could you cut down on added sugars in your diet?

For information on dietary guidelines for Americans, see this 2010 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. See this related Times article on how the sugar industry shifted blame to fat.