Sugar; the word sugar has a great meaning. It all started centuries ago. Sugar is found in sugarcane and is native to New Guinea. It spreads to Southeast Asia, China and India. The Indians were the first to discover the method of crystallization of sugar and were also the first to cultivate sugar cane and refine it. In 647 AD, China undertook a mission to India to obtain sugar refining technology. Over the centuries, sugar has become a staple in cooking and desserts and was introduced to the new world by Christopher Columbus in the year 1493 (Wikipedia, 2013). Back then, most sugary foods were healthy because no additional ingredients were added. In the modern world, sugary foods are high in calories and lacking in essential nutrients. Two hundred years ago, the average American ate only 2 lbs. of sugar per year. Today, the average American consumes nearly 152 pounds. of sugar per year. If we analyzed it weekly, that would be six cups of sugar in a week. Most of the sugars we consume are the ones we cannot see, they are the ones that affect us the most. This type of sugar is called “Hidden Sugar”. For many people, sugary foods are a source of relief from stress and tiredness. According to researchers at the University of Cincinnati, eating or drinking sweets can reduce the production of the stress-related glucocorticoid hormone, which has been linked to obesity and decreased immune response (Ewbank, 2005). At this point, sugary foods have made their way over the centuries and now represent one of our greatest fears in society. While sugary foods can be delicious and stress-free, with the risk of most of the sugar consumed being hidden, sugary foods can be harmful to society through obesity and can also… Sugar is bad for you. Retrieved from http://authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad/History of sugar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_sugar iStock (2001). 10 Foods With Hidden Sugar | Health24. Retrieved November 19, 2013, from http://www.health24.com/Diet-and-nutrition/Multimedia/10-foods-with-hidden-sugar-20130216Immune System Disorders: What Are They? Retrieved from http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/immune-system-disorders Our Overweight Children: What Can Parents, Schools, and Communities Do to Control the Fat Epidemic? Dalton, Sharron 2004// Overweight children -- United States. Childhood obesity – United States. Berkeley, California, United States. University of California http://site.ebrary.com/lib/itttechlibrary/docDetail.action?docID=10064733