The percentage of overweight or obese adults in the United States is approximately 69.2%, of which 33% are overweight, 35.7% are obese and nearly 6.3% are extremely obese. Children and adolescents have a lower percentage, 33.6%, of overweight and obesity (Starkoff). These numbers are staggering and there appears to be no sign of improvement. Part of the problem of increasing obesity rates is due to overconsumption of sugar. Sugar generally refers to granulated white sugar, also called sucrose. Consuming sugar from sugary foods and sweeteners like granulated sugar causes blood sugar levels to rise and then fall, which can lead to mood swings and lack of energy. A diet high in added sugars can also lead to weight gain and promote cavities and tooth decay. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting total intake of discretionary calories, which include added sugars and solid fats, to 5 to 15 percent of daily calorie intake, but many Americans continue to exceed these recommendations (Welsh, Sharma and Grellinger, 2011). About 16% of children and adolescents' total caloric intake came from added sugars. People consume these oversized sugary drinks and foods without thinking about the effects on their overall health. A major problem, especially with soft drinks, is that people don't feel as full as if they had consumed the same amount of calories from a solid food. Excessive consumption of sugary foods and drinks may be associated with lower intake of minerals, vitamins and a lack of phytochemicals. These foods and drinks provide large amounts of sugar, primarily high fructose corn syrup, to many people's diets. High-fructose corn syrup does not trigger insulin or leptin production. Without the production of leptin and insulin, the body does not recover...... middle of paper ...... Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th ed. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2010. Welsh JA, Sharma AJ, Grellinger L, Vos MB. Consumption of added sugars is declining in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr 94(3):726–34. 2011. Starkoff (2013). PES 405: Obesity in Society Section 1: History, definition and statistics. Personal collection of Brooke Starkoff, The College at Brockport, Brockport, NY Yang, R. and Barouch, LA (2007). Leptin signaling and obesity: cardiovascular consequences. Circulation Research, 101(6), 545-559. “Snacking on foods high in fat and sugar is linked to abdominal obesity. » http://aninews.in. Np, and Web. May 7, 2014. Frazao, Elizabeth. "Gobbling snacks: cause or potential cure for childhood obesity?". » USDA ERS-. United States Department of Agriculture, December 3, 2012. Web. May 8 2014.