You're more likely to reach for that soda when it's hot outside

"It's no secret Americans consume too much sugar, according to public health guidelines. Now, researchers have found one possible trigger that pushes people to reach for sweet things: hot weather. Researchers tracked Americans' grocery receipts over several years and found that sugar intake rises in the summer and the spike in consumption is driven largely by consuming more sugary beverages like sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened juices."

""As temperatures get higher, people tend to increase their added sugar consumption," says Pan He, an environmental scientist at Cardiff University and an author on the study, which was published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change. The study suggests that, unless Americans' sugar-seeking behavior changes significantly, sugar intake could rise even further in the future as climate change raises temperatures across the country."

"By 2100, the average American could take in over a pound of additional sugar per year, according to calculations by Duo Chan, a climate scientist at the University of Southampton and one of the study's authors. The study used data that tracked American families' grocery purchases. The scientists could see what families bought, and when. They then compared those purchases to weather records from their locations. Sugar consumption went up about 0.7 grams or about of a teaspoon per day for every degree Celsius hotter it got, on average."

Americans' grocery purchases show added sugar intake rises during warmer months, driven mainly by increased consumption of sugary beverages such as sodas, energy drinks, and sweetened juices. Grocery receipt data over several years were compared to local weather records to quantify changes. Sugar intake rose by about 0.7 grams per day for each degree Celsius of warming, with habitual consumers of sugar-heavy drinks more than five times likelier to increase consumption when it's hot. Projections based on temperature increases suggest the average American could consume over a pound of additional sugar per year by 2100 if behaviors do not change.

Read at www.npr.org