How is the Global Economy Impacted?
In recent years, obesity has been growing and becoming a major global problem. Over one third of Americans are over weight and this rate is growing. Annually, obesity exceeds the cost of 110 billion dollars, which makes obesity a major economic liability (Samadi). As the obesity rates increase, artificial sweeteners start to look like a great option for losing weight because of the great taste and the zero calories that are gained. In 2010, over 9 million dollars were spent on artificial sweeteners (Samadi).
Sucralose, marketed as Splenda, is in over 4000 products and is sold in over 80 countries world-wide. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999, and in 2009 there was a 15% increase in launches of new products containing this sweetener. In 2010, global sales increased by 14% (Harth). In the illustration above, it is evident that Sucralose was most popular and made millions in 2004, 2005, and 2006, while Sweet and Low and Equal were still very popular and made millions.
Soft drinks especially are packed with artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame. The average American teenage male drinks about 868 cans of diet soda a year. Americans spend 54 billion dollars a year on diet soda ("Soda, Diet Soda, Flavoured Water"). For every diet cola consumed, there is a 41% increase in risk of being overweight ("Soda, Diet Soda, Flavoured Water"). One 12 ounce diet soda contains approximately 180 mg of Aspartame, which may seem like a small amount, however, the Aspartame in the many colas containing these small amounts will eventually build up in the body, and leave the consumer craving for more sweets and sugar.
Listed below is the label of diet colas with "low to zero calories." Comparing diet coke of 1984 to coke zero of 2006, it is evident that the 2006 brand is laced with more artificial sweeteners, thus making humans crave more of it, which make the sales of these products increase drastically.
Sucralose, marketed as Splenda, is in over 4000 products and is sold in over 80 countries world-wide. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1999, and in 2009 there was a 15% increase in launches of new products containing this sweetener. In 2010, global sales increased by 14% (Harth). In the illustration above, it is evident that Sucralose was most popular and made millions in 2004, 2005, and 2006, while Sweet and Low and Equal were still very popular and made millions.
Soft drinks especially are packed with artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame. The average American teenage male drinks about 868 cans of diet soda a year. Americans spend 54 billion dollars a year on diet soda ("Soda, Diet Soda, Flavoured Water"). For every diet cola consumed, there is a 41% increase in risk of being overweight ("Soda, Diet Soda, Flavoured Water"). One 12 ounce diet soda contains approximately 180 mg of Aspartame, which may seem like a small amount, however, the Aspartame in the many colas containing these small amounts will eventually build up in the body, and leave the consumer craving for more sweets and sugar.
Listed below is the label of diet colas with "low to zero calories." Comparing diet coke of 1984 to coke zero of 2006, it is evident that the 2006 brand is laced with more artificial sweeteners, thus making humans crave more of it, which make the sales of these products increase drastically.