Rising temperatures increase added sugar intake disproportionately in disadvantaged groups in the USA

Using individual transaction-level data for US households in 2004–2019, the study finds that added sugar consumption is positively related to temperature, notably within 12–30 °C at a rate of 0.70 g °C⁻¹. The paper wishes to test the assumption that extreme heat may affect added sugar consumption through the increased intake of drinks and frozen desserts, but such an impact is rarely quantified. This is primarily driven by the higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and frozen desserts.

The magnitude of such impact is larger among households with lower income or educational levels. The researchers' projections indicate a substantial nationwide increase in added sugar consumption of 2.99 g per day by 2095 (or equivalently 5 °C warming level), with vulnerable groups at an even higher risk. The results highlight the critical need to mitigate health risks from the over-intake of added sugar and to explore dietary adaptation to climate change.