With all the hype about obesity and unhealthy food, we decided to take a look at 11 countries that consume the most sugar in the world. For the most part, the list is what you might expect, but there are few surprises. For instance, Germany which is one of the countries with the least number of obese people placed very high on the list. The fact that Germany is also high on the list of 11 countries that consume the most beer per capita really makes one casualty start perusing German job ads and exploring possibilities of immigration.
World Health Organization recommends maximum daily intake of 25 grams of sugar. That’s about 6 teaspoons of sugar daily. If you are taking your coffee with sugar, you are already in a problem area, depending on how many cups a day you drink. But sugar is contained in plenty of foods we consumed. For instance, one tablespoon of ketchup has 4 grams or one teaspoon of sugar. One can of Red Bull energy drink (8.3 oz.) has 27 grams of sugar, can of Coca-Cola (12 oz.) 39 grams and a small bottle of Mountain Dew (20 oz.) whooping 77 grams. One pastry of Pop Tarts has 34 grams of sugar and one Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll has 55 grams. Looking at these facts, it seems very hard to stay within WHO limits. Contrary to popular belief, sugar doesn’t cause diabetes, but it does lead to obesity and that is why there’s a strong correlation between countries that consume the most sugar and countries with high levels of obesity and diabetes.
The country that consumes the least sugar in the world is China, the world’s largest producer of xylitol. Chinese also traditionally use monk fruit, which is 300 times sweeter than sugar, as sweetener. Asian cuisine requires sugar to be put in majority of dishes, opposed to Western cooking, where it is mostly reserved for desserts and drinks. This can make it harder for them to precisely monitor their sugar intake. Still, there isn’t a single Asian nation on our list of 11 countries that consume the most sugar in the world, so it seems they don’t have a problem with it.
11. Austria
Daily consumption: 88.1 grams
Austria has a reputation for excellent desserts and cakes, which seems to be true, since we start our list with them. With 88.1 grams of sugar consumed daily, average Austrian is far above daily recommended intake.
10. Canada
Daily consumption: 89.1 grams
2/3 of maple syrup is sucrose, AKA table sugar. That’s 67 grams of sugar per 100 grams of syrup. With this fact in mind, Canada should be placed way higher on this list.
9. Finland
Daily consumption: 91.5 grams
Finland is somewhat an oddball here. No other Scandinavian country has made it to the list, so it seems Finns have much bigger sweet tooth than their neighbors.
8. Mexico
Daily consumption: 92.5 grams
With 32.8% obesity rate, Mexico has been pulling some radical measures to reduce sugar consumption, like a tax on all sweetened drinks. Their northern neighbors, who contemplate similar moves, are closely monitoring Mexico’s experiment.
7. United Kingdom
Daily consumption: 93.2 g
Britons, with an average consumption of 93.2 grams of sugar daily, are number 7 on the list. Government campaign started in 2007 has given good results, reducing sugar intake by almost 50%, but there’s a long way to go before it drops to a safe level.
6. Belgium
Daily consumption: 95 grams
Another nation known for its sweet tooth, Belgians are increasingly more prone to obesity and diabetes, the recent study has concluded. It seems that sugar is to blame for their deteriorating health.
5. Australia
Daily consumption: 95.6 grams
Number 5 on our list of 11 countries that consume the most sugar in the world is Australia. They have managed to overtake their mother country, in sugar consumption at least, if not in soccer.
4. Ireland
Daily consumption: 96.7 grams
According to the Royal College of Physicians, an obesity epidemic in Ireland is imminent unless measures are taken. Among them, they recommend a ban on advertising drinks with high sugar content to children. Campaigns like Share a Coke may soon be illegal on the island.
3. Netherlands
Daily consumption: 102.5 grams
Sweets are very popular in Low Countries, and Netherlands is leading the way. With 102.5 grams of sugar consumed daily, average Dutch eats and drinks 4 times more sugar than recommended.
2. Germany
Daily consumption: 102.9 grams
Germany is number 2 on this list and also number 2 on the list of the skinniest nations in the world, with 14% of obesity rate. Somehow, Germans have found a way to have a cake and stay slim.
1. United States
Daily consumption: 126.4 grams
The undisputed champion and number one on the list of 11 countries that consume the most sugar in the world are the United States. Average American consumes 5 times more sugar than WHO recommends.
