My bf who's 46 appears to be quite healthy but I can't help thinking he is consuming too much sugar. He has 3-4 spoons of sugar in his coffee and has up to 8 coffess a day ( some days only 5). He can't have cereal or porridge without 3-4 spoons of sugar, and anything that he can pour sugar on he will. He does the same with salt. He claims he hasn't a sweet tooth( ha ha!) and jokes that I do cause i like a square of chocolate with my coffee ( with 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 3 cups a day). I'm more concerned about the level of sugar and salt consumption. Surely this can't be healthy? He's lucky he has a tall lean build and doesn't look overweight.
He says sugar is a natural sweet part of life and thinks I'm picking on him. His father has diabetes and in the back of my mind I keep thinking he might end up the same although I really don't know if this has anything to do with getting diabetes. Any advice or suggestions? How much is too much? Thanks everyone

The fact is that table sugar isn't any worse for the body than sugar-based ingredients in processed foods (like dextrose, corn syrup, and even white flour). All refined carbs convert to blood glucose the same way. So you need to look at the big picture and determine how much sugar and junk carbs is he consuming overall. If he eats lots of white bread, cakes, cookies, donuts, candy, and fried foods etc. plus all that table sugar, then there is something to be concerned about. You should also be concerned about the amount of coffee/caffeine he is consuming.

The fact that his father is diabetic and that he is 46 is reason for concern. Has he had any bloodwork lately? I recommend that he gets a fasting blood glucose and a Hemoglobin A1C - this will show any immediate problems and his blood glucose trend over the past 3 months. At his age, with diabetes in his family, he needs to start thinking aboout prevention since it's likely he will eventually get it.

Knowing that old habits die hard and he is somewhat in denial of how much sugar he consumes, he really should increase his fiber and consider taking something to control his sweet tooth. Fiber will slow the rate that sugar goes into the bloodstream. People who develop Type II Diabetes can put a halt on the disease just by modifying their diet. Sugar blocks the arteries and impairs circulation, leading to a number of problems. Once diabetes is diagnosed, the patient will have no other choice but to change their lifestyle. It is not a joke as he seems to take it, it's damage to other areas in the body is to be taken very seriously.

Too much caffeine, too.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to suggest a general check up at the Dr's as he hasn't had 1 for probably 20 years. Do they automatically check/test blood sugar levels as part of a check up or does he have to specifically ask for it? I would love to go with him but I think he would take it the wrong way.

They should do it, but sometimes they don't. Especially since diabetes is in his family. What you want is a fasting blood glucose (blood drawn first thing in morning before any food) and a Hemoglobin A1C. Sometimes they do a urine test for glucose, but I don't think its as accurate.

If he is hesitant to address the fact that he is at risk of becoming diabetic, share with him some of the complications caused by diabetes that is undetected early enough.... vision problems (leading to blindness), nerve damage (more prevelant in the extremities that can lead to amputations), kidney failure, and a slew of other problems. These are not rare, they are common.

I am 44 years old and was just dxd with T2 diabetes this year, which I am sure I have had for several years undetected. I have since been dxd with a serious kidney disorder and neuropathy in my legs and feet, both related to the diabetes. Looking back, I wish I had taken better care of myself in previous years and I can only hope that as I improve my health now, I will be able to stop the progression of these conditions.

Its just so much easier to prevent illness than to try to overcome it...