USDA Beltsville Webinar: Sources and Intake of Added Sugars in the U.S. Diet

Recorded October 26, 2022

IAFNS is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). CDR Credentialed Practitioners will receive 1.5 Continuing Professional Education Units (CPEUs) for completion of this recorded webinar until October 26, 2025.

Description:

Numerous governmental and public health organizations recommend reduced intake of added sugars [defined as sugars that are either added during the processing of foods, or are packaged as such (e.g., a bag of sugar)] due to the adverse health effects associated with excess intake, including risk of obesity, dental caries, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends a dietary pattern that contains <10% of energy from added sugars. Reducing the intake of added sugars in the diet is easier said than done because sweet taste is inherently liked.

This webinar will showcase the research conducted by the USDA-ARS investigating sweet taste perception, measuring sources of sugars in the U.S. food supply, and capturing intake of added sugars among the U.S. population. The event will start with an overview of the sweet taste receptor and how it is conserved across species. Next, the process used by USDA-ARS to measure sugars and added sugars in the food supply will be discussed. Findings from a recent cross-sectional analysis using data collected from What We Eat in America, the dietary intake component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) will be presented. This analysis focuses on sources of added sugars and dietary patterns among adults that meet or exceed recommended levels of added sugars

Webinar program:

Overview of the USDA Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center
Naomi K. Fukagawa

Comparative Genomics of Sweet Taste Perception
Harry Dawson

Tracking Food and Beverage Intake using WWEIA
Donna Rhodes

Sources of Added Sugars in the Diet
Kelly Higgins

Overview of Sugars and Added Sugars in FoodData Central
Kyle McKillop

Commission on Dietetic Registration Performance Indicators:

  • 8.1.2 Integrates knowledge of biological, physical, and social sciences with knowledge of food and nutrition to make decisions related to nutrition care.
  • 8.1.4 Integrates knowledge of macro- and micronutrients for digestion, absorption and metabolism throughout the lifespan in practice.
  • 8.1.5 Demonstrates knowledge of nutrient requirements throughout the lifespan, and their role in health promotion and disease prevention.

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