Sugar Rush

There was a line in a pop offering a few years back that went something like “its your sweetness that’s my weakness”. Now doubtless the weak-willed diva who uttered these fatal words was referring to her addiction to the sweet loving charms of her man. She could easily, however, have been representing the entire citizenry of Iceland.

In other countries the authorities spend millions of pounds and endless man-hours in a losing battle with cocaine barrons. In Iceland, addiction also comes in the form of white powder. It is sold by the kilo and is available on the shelf of every supermarket in the land. And the name of this merchant of death, sugar! Icelanders are virtual slaves to this beguiling crystalline substance. An extensive international report on sugar consumption recently published its findings and the news was not good. Iceland shot in at number one for the first time beating out perennial favourites the United States. Though this figure seems to me quite incredible, Icelanders on average consume a staggering fifty kilos of sugar each per year. That is almost a kilo a week. It gets even scarier when you consider that this is just an average figure. Some people get through a lot more.

When I come to think about it, I guess I shouldn’t be all that surprised. In Icelandic food you tend to find sugar in the strangest places. At Christmas last year I was treated to a special festive Icelandic potato dish. Now I may be wrong but when the average sane person does a word association test I imagine that the words potato and sugar rarely find themselves side by side. But sure enough, a fine platter of delicious boiled potatoes arrived at the table covered in what can only be described as a crystallised brown sugar sauce.

Sales of soft drinks and candy, ice cream and chocolate reach astronomical levels each year. Though I have no intimate knowledge of Coca Cola sales statistics, on the daily evidence of my eyes alone I would be willing to bet that Icelanders per capita are one of their most valued customers. The government wisely ensures a plentiful and regular supply on the streets to avert the awful spectacle of crazed teenagers throwing trash cans through sweet shop windows to get their fix.

On a more serious note the national sweet tooth is producing some quite disturbing consequences. Obesity levels have rocketed in recent years particularly amongst children.

Perhaps it is time that the department of health went on the offensive with a campaign to raise awareness of the problem. Ultimately however it is down to individual to take the initiative. So the next time some shady o dude shopkeeper tries to tempt you with some sugarcoated gunk just say no!

John Boyce