Addiction is the inability to have a causal relationship with addictive substances. We are the most depressed, medicated, obese, disconnected society – even though we’re so privileged to live in a first world country.
The most widely available drug by far is sugar, but by adding fat at a 50-50 ratio (doughnuts for example) you can really tap into those neural pathways. By mixing a concentrated dose of caffeine and sugar and calling it an energy drink you can create a powerfully addictive substance. In my opinion, “It gives you wings” could be a code for it gets you high. This reeks of subliminal messaging from the marketing department. These corporations are not breaking any narcotic laws; they have the freedom to do whatever they want to formulate their products, mixing white powders with other chemicals (dark arts) in their research departments.
We live in a supersaturated addictive process. At times it feels impossible to escape the continuous message of the global marketing teams promoting the disease of more. Our very economies depend on growth.
Sugar is not so sweet
The appearance of adult diseases in children: Type II diabetes is linked to heavy sugar usage especially in sugary drinks. Medically it’s called the adult onset diabetes. Today one in four American teenagers are pre-diabetic or diabetic, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease that did not even exist until 1980 is also linked to heavy sugar usage and a poor diet. Scientists predict by the year 2020 this will be the leading cause of liver transplants. These are signs that our diet is way out of control and our food supplies are making some of us very sick. Our powerful, corporate supermarkets place sweets and chocolate at the eye-level of young children and target 4 and 5-year-olds with confectionery and sweet tasting drinks. These are concentrated sources of pleasure that tap into neural pathways that have existed for millions of years. Yet when used like this, there’s real danger to health.
When it comes to processed food and sugar, every fast food chain, every supermarket, is plying the trade of addiction. Studies show that around 75% of food that you buy from a supermarket has sugar added – even savoury foods. Products are carefully engineered with sweet white powders to drive ever greater demand and profits. Not a lot of people realise that one of the primary ingredients of alcohol is sugar.
Some people might say that because I’m an addiction therapist I see addiction everywhere. On the other hand, I cannot understand how the majority of people can be so blind to what ‘s going on around them. They say if you’re on the Internet and it’s free then you are the product! Your likes and dislikes sold to marketing agencies. I believe that we need to take responsibility for our own lives as the governments and big corporations of the world have their own agendas.
