Dear Editor,
JWRO (Japanese Welfare Rights Organization) held a health seminar on “Harms of Sugar,” on May 27, Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Fifty-six attendees packed a relatively small meeting room of JACCC in Little Tokyo.
We learned that we should be watchful for those “light,” “low fat,” or “all natural” labels on various foods and drinks such as ice cream, yogurt, and juice. They may be low in fat, but usually very high in sugar content. “All natural” fruit juices of a famous brand contain nearly 70 grams (14 teaspoonfuls!) of sugar per 8 ounces. As a result, Americans consume sugar much more than twice what Japanese do (per person per year).
Those items quickly satisfy our hunger sensation, but cause obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and eventually death. The trend of using more sugar among Americans is getting worse every year, accelerating the already skyrocketing medical costs in this country.
We should not allow those “healthy looking” fancy names to deceive us. We have to look at the back of the containers for sugar content.
Please be watchful when you buy foods and drinks. Otherwise, they can kill you.
Let’s fight back!
Kenji Irie, M.D.
JWRO Health Counseling Committee
Little Tokyo