The Truth About Sugar

Sugar is the big bad wolf of the diet world, but not that many of us know quite how to quit it or, in fact, what the downsides to a sugary diet actually are.

The Truth About Sugar documentary aimed to demystify some of the myths about sugar - namely, what food products secretly contain it - and demonstrate the impact it can make on your health if you reduce the amount you eat.

It charted the lives of Cara Patterson, Rick Shabilla, Audrey Cannon and Simon Gallagher, who consumed nearly 119 teaspoons of sugar between them a day. Three of them lost nearly six kilograms each after implementing a low-sugar diet, but Shabilla unfortunately decided to replace his Indian sweets habit with lager and was not as successful.

Journalist Fiona Phillips is on a mission to find out the truth behind the recent headlines on sugar. She discovers why some of us have more of a sweet tooth than others, which sugars you can enjoy guilt-free, why there is so much sugar hidden in food you would think was purely savoury and what effect sugary drinks have on the appetite. Fiona also helps four Brits, whose sugar-heavy diets could be putting their health at risk, to change their ways. From coming up with low-sugar recipes to finding ways to beat the sweet cravings, they will see whether cutting back to the levels suggested by health authorities is really achievable and what the benefits actually are. As the dieters progress on their journey, it soon becomes clear that the transformations will be dramatic.