Scientists at the Medical Research Council have found that eating more sugar is associated with obesity. Although this may seem obvious, previous studies, which relied on self-reporting of diet, had not shown that this was the case. But researchers from the Medical Research Council and University of Cambridge looking into the links between diet and cancer have developed a new way of objectively measuring sugar consumption. This is important in establishing the cause of the UK’s epidemic of obesity: lack of exercise or over-eating.

 

The team developed a new way of objectively measuring sugar consumption. Their findings about how much sugar overweight people consume are published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.  Until now it had been very difficult to assess food intake, particularly sugar consumption, in large populations. Data from surveys seemed to show that as weight and body mass index increased, people underestimated their total food intake, including the amount of sugar they ate.

The team has developed a new urine test which allows them to work out how much sugar large numbers of people are eating for the first time. They measure the levels of urinary sucrose and fructose (two types of sugar) in spot urine samples.  Colin Waine said the tendency to under-report food intake among the overweight was a major problem for medical practitioners.  "Used sensitively, this test could be a great tool in helping patient and practitioner work out what's going wrong and talk through what could be done about it."