Ice creams, frozen desserts and super-chilled sodas take on a new appeal in sticky summer heat. As climate change drives hotter temperatures, Americans are consuming more and more of them, new research finds, with worrying health consequences.
There is plenty of evidence climate change will shape food availability and quality, leading to shortages, price increases and even affecting nutritional value, said Pan He, a study author and a lecturer in environmental science and sustainability at Cardiff University. But far less is known about its effects on what we choose to eat and drink, she told CNN.
The researchers scoured US household food purchasing data between 2004 to 2019 allowing them to track the same families over a long time. They then compared purchasing decisions with regional weather data, including temperature and humidity.
As temperatures ticked up, people consumed more sugar, mostly in the form of sugar-sweetened drinks such as soda and juice, according to the study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
For every 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit of warming, added sugar consumption in US households increased by 0.7 grams per person per day, the researchers found, with a marked escalation as temperatures hit between 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hotter weather makes bodies lose more water, causing people to crave hydration and cooling. For many in the US that means reaching for cold, sweet products like sodas and ice cream, He said.
The effect is particularly pronounced in households with lower incomes or lower levels of education, the study found. Less advantaged groups tend to already have higher levels of sugar consumption, as this food can be cheaper and more accessible, making them more likely to opt for these products in the heat. They may also spend less time in air-conditioned spaces, according to the research.
The study predicts sugar consumption nationwide could increase by nearly 3 grams a day by 2095, if planet-warming pollution continues unchecked, with vulnerable groups at highest risk.
Too much sugar can bring a host of negative impacts, including higher risks of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of total calories people eat each day: no more than 36 grams for men and 26 grams for women.
“Public health issues related to sugar consumption have been broadly discussed, but if we consider the interaction with the climate change, it will make things worse,” He said. Policy makers around the world may need to consider ways to manage sugar consumption as part of adaptation to climate change, she added.
“Evidence on how (extreme heat) changes eating patterns is still relatively scarce,’’ said Charlotte Kukowski, a researcher at the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the research. The study “highlights a less-discussed channel through which climate change can affect human well-being,” she told CNN.
“What’s particularly worrying is that the most vulnerable groups — those with fewer resources to adapt — are both most exposed to warming and most at risk of diet-related diseases,” she added.
Exactly how climate change will affect humanity’s eating habits, and the potential consequences on health and inequality, still remain unclear, He said, with much more research needed across different parts of the world.
Credit: cnn.com
