According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, about half of all American adults—117 million individuals—have one or more preventable chronic diseases, many of which are related to poor eating and lack of physical activity. The dietary guidelines encourage people to eat more nutrient-dense foods as well as foods low in fat, sodium, and sugar. Added sugars account for more than 13 percent of calories per day in the U.S. diet, with the major sources of added sugars in beverages (47%) and snacks/sweets (31%) The current recommendation is to reduce added sugar consumption to less than 10% of calories per day. 

To help individuals learn about sugar, the many forms of added sugar, how to reduce sugar in baking, gain helpful shopping tips, and develop personal goals to improve health, the Todd and Hickman County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Educators taught “Sweet Enough Without All That Sugar” to 129 Extension Homemaker leaders in 16 counties in the Pennyrile and Purchase Areas. 

An evaluation conducted at the end of the meeting showed that participants increased their level of understanding of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners by (62%); added sugars in the diet (66%); ways to reduce sugar in the diet (68%); and the role of sugar and sweeteners in health (73%). As a result of the training, 100% planned to look at food labels or the nutrition fact panel when making food buying decisions; and 98% planned to reduce the amount of added sugar in their daily diet.

Many people who attended the lesson were already reducing sugar in their diet. One person commented that her husband has Type 2 diabetes and the class answered many of her questions. The lesson leaders plan to teach the class to approximately 1400 extension homemaker members in District 7.