In the last 20 years, the amount of sugar each person consumes yearly in the United States has soared from 26 pounds per person to more than 135 pounds per person. The average teenage male now consumes more than 34 teaspoons of sugar per day. Most of that sugar comes from man-made or "refined" sugars, which are from cane sugar, beet sugar, corn syrup and corn sugar, especially in the consumption of soft drinks.

Since 1983 (the year before my oldest daughter was born), sugar consumption has been steadily increasing every year by an average of 28%, fueling an epidemic of obesity, dental disease, diabetes and other health problems.