Still any sugar addiction is mild, in my opinion. For instance, when provided a good meal without sugar (say a nice restaurant on a date) do most folks get the shakes, leave halfway through the meal and run to an ice cream shop for a fix?
Its pretty easy to give up sugar for many people, for months at a time. Going back is probably laziness (easy availability, nostalgia) and not a physical compulsion.
Its common to throw words around like addiction when better words exist. Like habitual, or accustomed, or conditioned.
> Its common to throw words around like addiction when better words exist. Like habitual, or accustomed, or conditioned.
It's also common for attitudes to change very slowly with respect to something that has been around forever, that is available everywhere, and that can be safely used in moderation. It may be hard to accept that 'sugar addiction' is not an exaggeration; sugar brings to mind Valentine's Day, Halloween, and mom's apple pie, while addiction is associated with laying in the street, fatal overdoses, and ruined lives.
I certainly don't mean to say that everyone who likes sweets is automatically addicted to sugar. I use the term 'addiction' not to throw it around lightly, but because it is being used with its literal meaning by the medical professionals conducting said research, and because the usage is supported by the evidence (as can be seen in the links provided). That sugar addiction is being felt much less intensely than addictions to hard drugs, or that it can be overcome more easily, doesn't mean it doesn't fit the definition. Moreover, at a societal level, its consequences are just as dire (arguably, more so).
It's also interesting to look at the labels on our food in the US. Spaghetti sauce? Added sugar. Loaf of whole wheat bread? Added sugar. People may not see the addiction, but it's added to most everything right in front of our face.
Its pretty easy to give up sugar for many people, for months at a time. Going back is probably laziness (easy availability, nostalgia) and not a physical compulsion.
Its common to throw words around like addiction when better words exist. Like habitual, or accustomed, or conditioned.