Late last year, Mayor Eric Adams signed the Sweet Truth Act, which will require chain restaurants to conspicuously express warnings next to menu items with high volumes of added sugar and, beginning later this month, restaurants with prepackaged food will face fines per violation if they do not comply.
After years of a push for sugar legislation in New York City, Adams passed the bill into local law that requires chain restaurants with 15 or more locations in the city to indicate food and drink items with over 50 grams of added sugar with a black and white spoon, in addition to the warning.
“I’m actually a fan of the legislation because what it’s not doing is restricting its distribution,” Gary Brecka, human biologist and co-founder of 10x Health Systems, told Fox News Digital during a video interview.
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“At some point I don’t like to see the government coming in and saying you can only eat this, and you can’t eat that. But what I do like is adopting one of the foundational principles of modern medicine, which is informed consent.”
Informed consent is the “process of communication between you and your health care provider that often leads to agreement or permission for care, treatment, or services,” according to the American Cancer Society.
Brecka said an explicit warning on food items with excessive sugar allows the consumer to make an informed decision to indulge or not.
The message next to individual items is to state, “Warning: indicates that the added sugar content of this item is higher than the total daily recommended limit of added sugar for a 2,000 calorie diet (50g). Eating too many added sugars can contribute to type 2 diabetes and weight gain.”
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“I like the fact that this legislation is designed to improve the choices that the consumer has,” Brecka said. “It’s like a warning on a cigarette cart.”
If restaurants fail to add warnings to their menus and menu boards, they are liable for a civil penalty of up to $200 per violation.
The rules for prepackaged food and drink items are to become operative on June 19, 2024. Other food items will require warnings beginning Dec. 1, 2024.
“I think the general populace is also unaware of the dangers of these types of foods,” said Brecka.
The rule will impact major companies, including Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts, among others.
Fox News Digital reached out to each company for comment on how the Sweet Truth Act may impact business, but did not hear back.
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Though calorie needs vary per person, the recommended added sugar intake per day for a 2,000 calorie diet is 50 grams. Many Americans consume more than this during their commute to work.
“So, I’m tired. I go to Starbucks. I get a coffee and some kind of highly refined sugar item,” Brecka said. “It makes me feel great for a short period of time, and I’m after that short-term gratification. It has consequences. By the time you’re out of Starbucks and on your way to the office, you’re already hungry again.”
Processed foods reportedly trigger the release of dopamine, and make consumers crave more, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Brecka is not advocating for individuals to abandon indulgence altogether. However, he recommends enjoying a dessert after dinner, to ensure proteins and healthy fats are absorbed, too.
“Let’s save dessert for the end of the day,” he said. “Let’s reward ourselves at the end of the day. I mean, you just woke up, you don’t deserve a reward.”
Americans might be surprised to learn how much total sugar is in their preferred food and drink items.
These are just a few popular menu items on Starbucks, McDonald’s and Dunkin’ Donuts menus and the breakdowns of sugar per unit.
The move to pass the Sweet Truth Act was brought to lawmakers in NYC as the city is in the thick of a nutrition and obesity crisis statewide, including the five boroughs.
“Processed foods, and highly refined carbohydrates and sugars, lead to overeating,” Brecka said. “That’s why we have a pandemic of ultra processed food intake, and we have a pandemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes.”
In 2023, approximately 1 in 3 adults in New York were reportedly obese, and the health crisis is most prevalent in the Bronx and lowest in Manhattan, according to the NY State Department of Health.
In 2023, 34.5% of adults in the Bronx were reportedly obese. This number was up 2.1% from 2020.
During the same year, 17.2% of residents in Manhattan were reportedly obese, according to NY.gov.
This data was up slightly from 17.1% in 2020.
From 2016-2020, at least 34.40% of Black and non-Hispanic people in NY state were reportedly obese.
When comparing NYC Marcoscope and Community Health Survey data, obesity was highest in men aged 20 to 39 years old and women between 40 and 58 years old.
“We are the highest consumers of refined sugars in the world,” Brecka said of the U.S. “The proof is crystal clear. The evidence is irrefutable.”
Per capita, sugar consumption in the U.S. is 126.4 grams daily, and Germany is hard on the heels of America, consuming 102.9 grams of sugar daily, according to the World Population Review.
With the rule in place, Americans in NYC may learn to better balance their daily consumption of food and added sugars.
“We can shift our choices,” said Brecka. “We don’t need to eliminate these foods by any means.”
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