Eating too much sugar is harmful to health. Some people think it is the government’s responsibility to limit people’s sugar consumption, while others think it is an individual’s responsibility to limit the amount of sugar they eat. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

There is agreement that the amount of

sugar

people consume is often over the healthy limit, but whether

this

is the

responsibility

of individuals or governments to solve is debatable. In my opinion, limiting

sugar

intake is a shared

responsibility

of both, but in different ways. Some would argue that it is the government’s role to limit

sugar

consumption as they are in control of legislation. Clearly the greatest problem with

sugar

consumption is how much ‘hidden’

sugar

there is in drinks and processed foods. It is

therefore

the government’s duty to enforce laws that require food companies to clearly label their products in simple terms so that consumers know how much

sugar

is contained within them. It should

also

be their

responsibility

to place hard limits on the amount of

sugar

that is

permissible in processed foods, and not just leave

this

up to the companies themselves.

However

, others would argue that it is up to individuals to control their own behaviour. A government can legislate, but it is up to the individual to educate themselves about healthy options and choose better products when they shop. People often use the excuse of ‘not knowing’ what is and is not a healthy option.

However

, there is so much information available nowadays about food content on the internet and in the media that

this

is a weak excuse. It is very easy to find out what is an acceptable daily allowance of

sugar

for children and adults and use the product labels to stay under that limit. In conclusion, I would argue that there are valid arguments for a certain amount of

responsibility

on both sides.

Therefore

, limiting

sugar

intake has to be shared between governments and individuals. A government can require more transparency from food companies, but only an individual can actually stop making poor choices.