What’s Sugar Substituting For?

Sweetness.

That’s cute, Jason, but is there scientific evidence to support this?

“Overall, our results confirmed that perceived loneliness was associated with elevated intake of sugar in the form of soda, cola and juice. High levels of relationship satisfaction, on the other hand, was negatively associated with all three types of sugary beverages. Other aspects of social connectedness such as being married, having supportive friends, and having a sense of togetherness at work were associated with lower intake of two out of three types of sugar-containing beverages. These associations were statistically significant, even after controlling for factors such as body mass index, weight-related self-image, depression, physical activity, educational level, age and income.” (1)

There it is in black-and-white:

1. Less relationship satisfaction: more sugar consumption
2. More relationship satisfaction: less sugar consumption

And true relationship satisfaction isn’t merely scientific:

1. Someone stops by out of the blue just to visit.
2. Someone insists on dropping you off or picking you up at the airport, even though you told them you don’t mind taking the bus.
3. Someone makes you dinner and goes out of their way to make it an extra special experience.
4. Someone goes strawberry picking and leaves a pint on your doorstep.
5. Someone calls you to ask how you’re doing when you’re struggling, even though you told them you were okay.
6. Someone gives you a handmade gift they know will make you smile for years to come.
7. Someone remembers your favorite song, even though you only told them once.
8. Someone leaves you a handwritten note where they know you’ll find it during your day and be surprised.
9. Someone makes a big deal out of your birthday.
10. Someone goes out of their way to express how much they appreciate you.

Sweetness.

How good does it feel to find that handwritten note? To enjoy that special dinner together? To savor that hug at the airport?

It feels like you have everything you could ever need, right?

What if you made sweetness a priority?

What if your relationships were characterized by sweetness?

With more sweetness in your life, would you crave sugar?

Author’s note: Throughout this article, I’ve referred to “sugar” instead of “added processed sugar” because it makes for smoother reading. However, added processed sugar is what I’m technically talking about. No one I know is complaining of cravings for bananas, kiwis, and raspberries—which are loaded with sugar. Sugar is a nutrient that naturally occurs in many real foods that are very nutritious.

(1) Loneliness, Social Integration and Consumption of Sugar-Containing Beverages: Testing the Social Baseline Theory. PLOS ONE, 2014, 10.1371/journal.pone.0104421.

About Jason Gootman
Jason Gootman is a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach and National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach as well as a certified nutritionist and certified exercise physiologist. Jason helps people reverse and prevent type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other ailments with evidence-based approaches to nutrition, exercise, stress reduction, holistic wellness, and, most importantly, lasting behavior improvement and positive habit formation. As part of this work, Jason often helps people lose weight and keep it off, in part by helping them overcome the common challenges of yo-yo dieting and emotional eating. Jason helps people go from knowing what to do and having good intentions to consistently taking great care of themselves in ways that help them add years to their lives and life to their years.