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Exposing the hidden sugar in our food

Actor turned activist Damon Gameau returns to his home town this weekend to continue his campaign highlighting the dangers of hidden sugar in so-called ‘healthy’ foods.

May 11, 2016, updated May 11, 2016
Photo: Moyan Brenn/Flickr

Photo: Moyan Brenn/Flickr

Like many of us, Damon Gameau grew up in Adelaide never thinking twice about what he ate and drank – in the 1980s, a glass of juice and a bowl of packaged cereal was considered a healthy breakfast.

While supermarket shelves were filling with low-fat food products laden with hidden sugar, Gameau went on to graduate from the National Institute of Dramatic Arts in Sydney and gain roles in films The Tracker, Balibo and Thunderstruck, as well as the TV series Underbelly.

He says he smoked, drank Coke and loved eating Tim Tams until his girlfriend (now wife, actress Zoe Tuckwell-Smith) became pregnant with their first child and he began to notice how many confusing messages there were about sugar.

“The World Health Organisation recommends eating no more than six teaspoons of sugar per day, but many Australians unwittingly consume up to 40 teaspoons of sugar per day by eating everyday foods,” Gameau says

Zoe Tuckwell-Smith, Damon Gameau and their daughter, Velvet.

Zoe Tuckwell-Smith, Damon Gameau and their daughter, Velvet.

Determined to uncover the truth about so-called healthy foods, he became a self-appointed guinea pig. For 60 days, under medical supervision, he ate a diet that included 40 teaspoons of sugar daily and documented the process and the results in a film he produced, wrote and directed himself.

As part of the experiment, Gameau didn’t eat junk food or drink any soft drinks; he simply loaded himself with the sugar by eating low-fat foods that are perceived to be healthy. He kept his exercise regime and calorie intake the same, but replaced his usual high-fat diet of cheese, avocado, nuts and seeds with foods such as muesli bars, baked beans and fruit smoothies.

That Sugar Film was released 12 months ago with cameos from actors Hugh Jackman, Stephen Fry and Brenton Thwaites. The results were striking: after just two months, Gameau looked awful and felt physically and mentally terrible. He had gained 8.5 kilograms and his waist measurement had increased by 10 centimetres, not to mention the increased risk of diabetes, liver and heart disease that he had imposed on himself.

Gameau also discovered that the more sugar he ate, the more he wanted.

“There is evidence suggesting that a lot of people are addicted to sugar, and there is a link between food and mental health,” he says.

In That Sugar Film, Gameau has a scan taken of his brain which shows increased activity when he is drinking a sweet drink or being shown an image of one.

“That Sugar Film has become the highest-grossing documentary in Australia and it’s at No. 2 in the UK,” he says.

“The danger of hidden sugar has become a global message and people are starting to take it seriously.”

Gameau’s personal experience has been backed up by new research from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health, which suggests that in the first 25 years of a sugary drinks tax there could be 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4400 fewer cases of heart disease and more than 1000 fewer strokes.

The UK has introduced a new tax on soft drinks to come into effect by 2018 and its own healthy eating ambassador, Jamie Oliver, gave Australia, Germany and Canada a public nudge to follow suit in the following video.

https://youtu.be/txqSM6gMXYQ

But Gameau says he would support a tax only if an independent body was set up to ensure the money raised went to subsidising fresh fruit and vegetables in lower-socio-economic areas or to provide better food in hospitals and schools.

“Mexico has had a tax for 18 months now and has raised $1.8 billion,” he says.

“I think our problem is much more multi-faceted than just a tax. We need education, clearer, more honest labelling and tougher rules around food advertising to children.

“Nearly half our children’s daily energy now comes from discretionary foods, according to a University of Adelaide study last week. It’s alarming.”

Gameau suggests people do an experiment themselves to see if they can limit their sugar intake to six teaspoons a day. You can divide the total sugars listed in grams on a can of drink or a chocolate bar by four to find out the equivalent number of teaspoons. For example, a can of lemonade contains 40 grams of sugar – equal to 10 teaspoons. Or you can use That Sugar App to scan the barcode to give you the answer immediately. The results are surprising.

Gameau has also produced a book about his experience called That Sugar Book and, with wife Zoe, has recently released a practical guide to lowering sugar intake called That Sugar Guide.

“We also have a school action kit in 1000 schools around Australia. Once these kids stop having energy drinks, their moods are better – there’s not a roller-coaster knocking them up and down.

“I’m not an anti-sugar crusader; we are just at the beginning of a very important conversation.”

Damon Gameau will speak at the Adelaide Fitness Expo 2016 this Saturday, May 14, at 11.30am and 2.35pm at the Adelaide Showgrounds, where he will also be available for book signings.

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