As I sat in a cafe, waiting to order, I couldn’t help but eye the decadent pastries displayed in front of me. The tantalizing smell of sweet caramelized sugar reached my nose and suddenly it was my turn to order. Before I even knew it I had ordered a chocolate croissant without hesitation. 

“It’s fine it’s just this once,” I told myself. I knew how sugar made me feel, especially in the morning. Whenever I ate too much sugar I would start to feel lethargic, anxious, irritable, bloated and hungry. It was a constant battle of willpower and addiction that seemed to tighten its grip with every indulgence. 

However, I noticed it wasn’t just me. It seemed like everyone around me was indulging in sugary treats. I observed the man that sat at the table across from me, who looked like he was on his way to work. As he took his first bite of a coffee cake, a subtle moment of satisfaction and delight glimmered across his face. However, it seemed like it was overshadowed by a lingering sense of guilt and helplessness. This serves as a poignant reminder of the widespread effect of sugar addiction and the urgent need to find it.

According to Addiction Center, approximately 75% of Americans consume excess amounts of sugar and many of them could be classified as having a sugar addiction. This is an alarming amount of people whose health could be at risk. Many of which, probably aren’t even aware that they could have an addiction.

Society’s addiction to sugar has become a prevalent and important issue in the modern world. For many, it’s difficult to resist the temptation of sugary treats and drinks present in stores everywhere. In addition, it seems like added sugar is hidden in almost everything we eat. Most people believe that an addiction to sugar is simply the result of a lack of willpower. 

However, there are key psychological and biological factors that drive sugar addiction. The addiction is real and can have an effect on the brain similar to drugs. People claim that they feel compelled to eat sweet foods, similar in the way an alcoholic might feel compelled to drink. Despite what many companies want you to believe, sugar addiction is a big problem that can have detrimental impacts on your health.

When we consume sugar, the brain’s mesolimbic dopamine system (its reward system) is activated. When the sugar reaches our system it triggers the release of a huge surge of dopamine. Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter that makes us feel pleasure. This feeling of pleasure reinforces the desire for more sugar. This creates a seemingly never ending cycle of consuming sugar in order to experience the pleasure again. 

The emotional and psychological associations with sugar and sugar addiction can vary from person to person. However, our brains are all wired similarly when it comes to dopamine release. The pleasurable sensation that sugar gives can lead people to develop emotional associations with sugar, such as using it to comfort unpleasant emotions. The consumption of sweet foods leads to temporary relief of stress and negative emotions, which can lead to a psychological dependence on sugar to regulate emotions. 

Similar to drug addiction, extended exposure to high amounts of sugar can build a tolerance. When we consume sugar it is broken down into glucose and is then absorbed into the bloodstream. The pancreas responds by releasing insulin which is a hormone that helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells that can be used for energy. Overtime, the brain becomes desensitized to the high levels of sugar and insulin which leads to insulin resistance. Therefore, more insulin is needed to have the same function of transporting glucose which leads to elevated blood sugar levels and potential long term health issues, such as type 2 diabetes. 

In addition to type 2 diabetes, sugar can cause a host of other health problems. Obesity is one of the most common and apparent health problems sugar can cause. While weight isn’t a direct reflection of one’s health, consuming excess sugar can lead to weight gain and obesity due to the sugary foods high calorie content. Excess weight from sugar can lead to other life threatening health issues such as heart disease and certain types of cancer. 

Science shows that high sugar intake has been linked to an increased risk in heart disease. Diets high in sugar can raise blood pressure, promote inflammation, and contribute to unhealthy cholesterol levels. The inflammation caused can create stress on the heart and blood vessels which can lead to increased blood pressure. These are factors for heart disease and dramatically increases the risk of it becoming fatal. 

This problem can be solved by increasing awareness and encouraging people to reduce their sugar intake. Making people aware of the negative impact that sugar has on their health can help them begin to battle their addiction. Education on not only the impact but the presence of sugar is important as well. There are many hidden sources of sugar in foods and drinks. Hidden sugars are in many popular snacks and even foods that may be marketed as healthier. Learning how to read food labels can be helpful in avoiding concealed sugars. 

After education, gradually reducing one’s sugar intake and eating a balanced diet rich in fiber and protein can help. Emotional support and stress management are also important strategies to help prevent emotional overeating. If more people don’t make the effort to fight their dependency on sugar, then global health will continue on a steady and dangerous decrease. Starting with awareness, all of these strategies can be used to make a difference in one’s health.

So, the next time you find yourself gazing at a case full of tempting treats, reflect carefully on the unsettling effect that sugar has on your body. While I’m not asking you to never eat sugar again. Simply take a moment to remember that a few mindful choices at a time can bring you closer to breaking free from the firm grasp of sugar. 

One word that could be used to describe Joe Dennis is passionate … especially about his musical tastes.

“If you don’t like Kesha you can leave,” Dennis said to a group of high school students attending the Summer Media Academy at the University of Georgia. 

In an interview with the students, it became clear that Joe is passionate about a multitude of things. From Kesha to fedoras to the White Sox, Joe has many passions. But one of his core passions is journalism. 

On the surface, Joe Dennis is a talented journalist and professor who is currently the chair of the mass communications department at Piedmont University. However, diving deeper, a particular point of interest for Joe is his collection of fedoras. While it may seem silly, his fedora collection actually reflects a piece of cultural identity as a half Filipino. “‘I needed something that defined me,” he said, recalling how became a fedora wearer. “I was walking around the streets of New York City when I saw a woman selling fedoras. Bruno Mars was popular around then, and he rocks the fedora. And he’s Filipino. I thought, That’s it! I’m going to wear a fedora.’”

Although he is comfortable in his career and identity now, he felt challenged when starting out his career. As a budding journalist, he found it difficult to recognize that there was a business end in the field. His first journalism job was at The Walton Tribune in Monroe, Georgia which is a small publication that relies on the community it covers. The people that he would cover — the community leaders and politicians — also often advertised for the paper. Therefore, Joe found it difficult to understand how to balance creating compelling stories while respecting the advertisers. 

Despite this, he says that he wouldn’t do anything different. He believes that he is exactly where he is supposed to be. When asked if he would change anything about his life he simply replied, 

“Nothing. I really think that everything that’s happened has happened for a reason.”

In addition to Atlanta, I love exploring the city, shopping, going to concerts with my friends, and playing tennis. On Sundays, I like to get in my car and drive just 20 minutes into the city with no particular destination in mind. I scout out potential places for my friends and I to visit like local coffee shops or parks. I love taking my labradoodle Cali (named after California) on long walks in the park in the middle of the city. Most of the time, the driving in the city is the farthest thing from relaxing so I like to read and listen to music to unwind. My favorite kind of music is classic rock but I also listen to a little bit of Hip-Hop, R&B, Indie, and Pop. My favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers and my favorite artist is Mac Miller.

I love traveling as well. I’ve visited over ten countries and twenty-five national parks. Something about experiencing a completely new environment and culture has always excited me. My extended family shares this excitement as well and for holidays we often like to go an adventurous trips such as sailing in the Bahamas. However, my family truly took it to the next level when we decided to go on a six month sabbatical across Europe. For six months, I was questionably homeschooled and went to what seemed like every art museum in Europe. We stayed with many friends in Spain, France, England, Belgium, and Amsterdam. I made a lot of new friends and ate a low of new food. During this time, I developed a taste for caviar, distaste for pigeons, and a new appreciation for the beauty of different cultures.

My friends and I in front of a volcano in Costa Rica!

Although I don’t have a lot of formal journalism experience, I really enjoy informational writing for my classes. Reading and writing is something that I’ve enjoyed since a young age. My mom even used to call me a mini Shakespeare because I would write so much poetry in elementary school. Journalism itself is something I’ve become more interested in recently as more of my classes have incorporated news style assignments. These assignments were challenging but enjoyable for me which is what led me to signing up for this camp.