Opioid Epidemic. Sugar Epidemic.
The opioid epidemic has rightfully gained national attention, shining a spotlight on addiction, corporate accountability, and the devastating costs to both individual lives and the U.S. healthcare system. But we’re missing another public health crisis hiding in plain sight: the sugar epidemic.
Like opioids, highly processed foods—particularly those loaded with added sugars—alter the brain’s reward system, encouraging compulsive overconsumption. These foods aren’t just making us heavier; they’re also reshaping our mental health.
The Science of Sugar and the Brain
Foods high in sugar activate the same neural pathways as addictive drugs. Dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, spikes in response to sugar in much the same way it does with opioids (Avena et al., 2008). Over time, this overstimulation leads to tolerance, meaning we need more to feel the same level of reward—and withdrawal symptoms when we cut back.
Studies show that diets high in refined sugars are associated with an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline (Knüppel et al., 2017; O’Neil et al., 2014). In children, high sugar intake has been linked to attention difficulties, mood swings, and long-term behavioral problems (Jacka et al., 2011).
A Hidden Cost to Mental Health
Just as opioid addiction took years to be recognized as a medical, not moral, issue—so too are we only beginning to understand the mental health burden of poor nutrition. Psychiatric symptoms rooted in inflammation, insulin resistance, and nutritional deficits often go untreated or misdiagnosed.
The result? Patients spend thousands on therapy and medications without ever addressing the fuel that’s quietly feeding their mood disorders.
Economic Toll on the Healthcare System
The opioid crisis cost the U.S. economy an estimated $1.02 trillion in 2017 alone (CDC, 2021). Meanwhile, the annual cost of obesity-related illness—much of it driven by sugar-laden diets—exceeds $173 billion (CDC, 2022). These figures don’t even account for indirect costs like lost productivity, long-term disability, or the growing burden on psychiatric care.
At the same time, both industries are making billions. Purdue Pharma, one of the biggest opioid manufacturers, earned over $35 billion from OxyContin between 1995 and 2017. From 2008 to 2018, the Sackler family personally withdrew $10 billion from the company. While Purdue was later ordered to pay an $8 billion settlement, the damage was already done.
Meanwhile, the U.S. sugar market continues to thrive, valued at $14.9 billion, with global projections exceeding $102 billion by 2030. U.S. sugar producers receive over $3 billion annually in excess sales revenue—money that ultimately props up an industry contributing to diet-related disease.
Corporate Complicity
Just as Purdue Pharma aggressively marketed OxyContin while downplaying its addictive risks, the processed food industry has done the same with sugar. In fact, internal documents from the 1960s revealed that sugar industry lobbyists paid scientists to downplay links between sugar and heart disease, shifting the blame to fat instead (Kearns et al., 2016).
Today, food corporations fund misleading studies, market to children, and flood low-income communities with cheap, hyper-palatable products. These products are designed not just to be tasty—but addictive.
Sugar addiction is profitable. And legal.
So What Can We Do?
Acknowledge sugar as more than a diet issue—it’s a public health crisis with psychiatric consequences.
Push for transparent food policy that puts science before profit.
Advocate for corporate accountability in both the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Educate patients on the neuroscience of cravings—and the power of nutrition to heal both body and mind.
The opioid epidemic taught us what happens when we ignore the warning signs. Let’s not make the same mistake with sugar.
Scientific References
Avena, N. M., Rada, P., & Hoebel, B. G. (2008). Evidence for sugar addiction: Behavioral and neurochemical effects. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 32(1), 20–39.
Knüppel, A., et al. (2017). Sugar intake from sweet food and beverages and depression: findings from the Whitehall II study. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 6287.
O’Neil, A., et al. (2014). Relationship between diet and mental health in children and adolescents. Am J Public Health, 104(10), e31-e42.
Jacka, F. N., et al. (2011). Western vs traditional diets and depression/anxiety in women. Am J Psychiatry, 167(3), 305-311.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Economic Burden of Opioid Use Disorder and Fatal Overdose.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Obesity and Overweight Data.
Justice Department (2020). Purdue Pharma and Sackler Family Settlement. justice.gov
AEI (2022). U.S. Sugar Program Profits and Impact. aei.org
Grand View Research (2023). Global Sugar Market Size. grandviewresearch.com
Kearns, C. E., Schmidt, L. A., & Glantz, S. A. (2016). Sugar Industry Influence on the Scientific Agenda of the National Institute of Dental Research. JAMA Internal Medicine, 176(11), 1680–1685.
