According to research, the average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day - that's a whopping 90 grams of sugar, or 355 calories.
The American Heart Association (AHA) has said this figure should be cut dramatically, recommending that women consume no more than 100 calories of added processed sugar per day (six teaspoons), while men should limit their intake to just 150 calories (nine teaspoons).
Soft drinks are the main culprit, representing the number one source of added sugars in the American diet - many studies have shown a link between drinking high amounts of soft drinks and obesity.
The AHA claims that high intakes of added sugar not only increase the nation's waistlines but also contribute to heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses - claims that are disputed by the American Beverage Association.
Brits aren't very different. On average, in the UK, each person drinks 228 litres of soft drinks a year - that amounts to 66 grams of added sugar each day, from soft drinks alone. A 500ml bottle of Coke contains around 53g of sugar - more than 10 teaspoons.
The UK Guideline Daily Amounts (devised by the food industry, based on research) recommend a maximum daily intake of 90g of sugar but this figure includes naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in fruit, vegetables and milk. 50g is widely agreed to be the recommended daily maximum for added sugars. In August 2009 EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) said that no recommendations for sugar intake (either total or added) can be given due to insufficient data. The debate continues...
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