Everyone deserves a touch of sweetness in their lives, whether it be a tender kiss from a loved one, a friendly smile from a stranger or a tad sprinkle of that alluring, sweet white grain many refer to as sugar. Coca cola (500ml bottle) – 13.5 teaspoons. Naked Green Machine Smoothie (450ml) – 13 teaspoons. Starbucks new cinnamon roll Frappuccino – 20 teaspoons (the equivalent of drinking about 1 litre of Coke). It’s shocking how many spoonfuls of this addictive product amounts to just enough to satisfy you during your hour’s break at school or work; bearing in mind that the average male should only consume up to 37.5 grams (9 teaspoons) of sugar per day and the average female, 25 grams (6 teaspoons). Now, are you one to walk straight through the door to dive directly into the treats cupboard when you get home, prepared to gobble down a sugary treat? Do you agree, your stress-filled day will be made better instantly after biting into a bar of Cadbury’s? Sugar is bad, and in excessive amounts can be detrimental to human health. Answering Dr Pepper’s sugar-enriched drink’s slogan, “what’s the worst that could happen?,” let me inform you that these miniscule saccharine grains can cause some serious conditions such as, type II diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and even breast or bowel cancer. Although so small and delicate in structure, sugar is the one of the leading causes of obesity in the UK. The 2016 Health survey for England discovered that 26.2% of adults in England are obese alongside a further 35.2% that are overweight, giving a total of 61.4% who are either overweight or obese. These percentages continue to increase due to the temptation of sugary delicacies that lie on supermarket shelves, taunting passers-by with their inviting looking packaging; the words ‘taste the rainbow,’ plastered proudly in bold, colourful letters on packets of skittles, caught by the public eye and persuading those with a sweet tooth to: Grab them. Scoff them. Buy another. Wouldn’t it be nice if sugar was like fruit…healthy for you and full of beneficial vitamins? Unfortunately, this is not the case. After conducting my own survey, 80% of people said that if they were hungry, the first thing they would reach for would be a sugar enriched snack. Sugar is evilly addictive, plays tricks on your mind, and manipulates the body mentally and systemically to consume more of its calorific naughtiness. Everyone needs a bit of sweetness now and then; don’t they?