Pan He, an environmental scientist at Cardiff University in Wales, hit on the idea to look at … how rising temperatures affect food consumption. She and her colleagues decided to focus on sugar because its overconsumption is a known problem in the U.S. ….
The researchers paired temperature data with a unique dataset that showed household grocery purchases around the U.S. from 2004 to 2019 and used purchases as a proxy for consumption. They found little difference in consumption below 12 degrees Celsius (about 54 degrees Fahrenheit). But between that temperature and 30 degrees C (86 degrees F), something happened: consumption increased by 0.7 gram per degree C.
Most of the overall increase came from beverages with added sugar, such as sodas or fruit drinks, as opposed to 100 percent juice. Frozen desserts such as ice cream or popsicles made a smaller contribution.
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There were noticeable differences in consumption patterns, though. People with higher levels of income or educational attainment showed very little change in sugar consumption as temperatures rose compared with those with lower incomes or less formal education.
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