Health Effects of Consuming Too Much Sugar

Did you know that Mountain Dew soda contains the equivalent of 17 packets of sugar? And a small can of Red Bull, seven. That's what Sinergia staff and Day Hab participants found out during a seminar held March 28th, 2011 entitled "Health Effects of Consuming Too Much Sugar". The training was brought to Sinergia by the Union Settlement in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and The Public Health Outreach, as a part of their “Take Care New York” campaign to raise awareness about sugar consumption. The presenter, Kathleen Cain, a public health outreach coordinator for Union Settlement, talked about the frighteningly high consumption of sugar in all it’s forms, its lack of nutritional value, and the availability of healthy alternatives. She suggested that when shopping for fruit juice, people should read labels and choose those that are 100% fruit juice and then dilute them with water, because they still contain a significant amount of natural sugars. She promoted a petition to encourage local stores to move healthy beverages and foods to the front of their stores to help the communities choose better. "The forty plus participants that were present answered questions about their daily diets and were astounded to find so many items that were not so beneficial to their health, says Day Hab specialist Rob Maldonado. "Ms. Cain encouraged all of us to drink lots of water as the ultimate replacement for soft drinks."

This insightful workshop will be held again on April 13th for the Up-Living Program participants.