America's sugar addiction

America’s sugar addiction is out of control.

In the 1800s, the average American consumed 18 pounds of dietary sugar per year.

Today, the average American consumes 150 pounds of dietary sugar per year. That’s a 733 percent increase.

Yikes.

The online weight loss program, HEALTHeME, created an infographic stuffed with disturbing sugar statistics like that one.

HEALTHeME is comprised of a team of health professionals with expertise in clinical nutrition, exercise science and behavior science.

In addition to the sweet infographic, the HEALTHeME experts offered a few tips for cutting sugar intake:

-Don’t make desserts a regular part of every meal. Save them for special occasions or weekend treats.

-Skip breakfast cereal. Most cereals are loaded with sugar, which sets you up for hunger and fatigue for the whole day. Try having fruit, yogurt, and nuts or light cheese instead.

-Say farewell to soda and fruit juice. These sugary drinks are also high in calories, so choose water flavored with fresh lemon or lime, seltzer, tea, milk, or plain water instead.

What was the most startling tidbit you found on the infographic?

For me: One soda per day equals 55 pounds of sugar per year. Gross.