The climate is warming, and people… are eating more sugar

Research conducted among Americans revealed that higher temperatures lead to increased sugar consumption, especially among less affluent and less educated individuals. Scientists warn that the warming climate and greenhouse gas emissions will increasingly affect our diet, in less obvious ways as well.

Sweet drinks and snacks – harmful but popular way to cope with heat

The authors of a study published in Nature (Pan He et al.) demonstrated a clear link between rising temperatures and sugar consumption. An analysis of U.S. household spending in 2014–2019 revealed that just 1°C more translates into an additional 0.7 g of sugar consumed. This refers to added sugars, excluding natural components found in fruit and other food products. Interestingly, this trend slows down somewhat at temperatures above 30°C – likely due to reduced appetite under such conditions.

Researchers predict that by 2095, with an assumed temperature increase of around 5°C, sugar intake will rise by nearly 3 g. They also note that the tendency to buy ice cream, sweet drinks, or snacks during heat waves is not evenly distributed across all social groups. In the United States, it mainly concerns people with low income, low education levels, and certain ethnic groups. The study’s authors link this to lower nutritional awareness, limited access to healthy food, and cultural norms.

Scientists point to serious consequences: even small amounts of excess calories increase the risk of obesity, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. This leads to the conclusion that as the climate warms, health inequalities among social groups may deepen.

Not just sugar – how climate change affects our diet

The changing climate and high greenhouse gas emissions affect our diet in various ways, and this impact is expected to grow. This was emphasized in a report presented during the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2023. Climate change translates into more difficult food production conditions in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Scientists estimate that harvests of corn, wheat, and rice are already 5% lower than they could be under optimal conditions.

The report also suggests that some regions of the world will become completely unsuitable for food production. By 2100, the surface area of arable land may decrease by 8 to 30%. This primarily concerns underdeveloped countries, where the risk of malnutrition is already high.

An article published in Frontiers in August 2022 shows that climate change also affects our diet on a microscale. Greenhouse gas emissions on the one hand accelerate plant growth; on the other, they make crops less nutritious. They contain fewer proteins and essential micronutrients such as zinc, iron, and calcium. This dependency is most evident in cereals and vegetables that are staple foods in many countries: rice, wheat, barley, and potatoes – the protein content decreases by 7–15%.

How can we deal with this problem? Scientists suggest greater crop diversification, monitoring cultivated plants for nutrient content, and developing new varieties more resistant to climate change. They also highlight the need to reduce social inequalities and promote broad nutrition education – without this, universal access to a nutrient-rich, healthy diet is unlikely to succeed.

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Bibliography:

He, P., Xu, Z., Chan, D. et al. Rising temperatures increase added sugar intake disproportionately in disadvantaged groups in the USA. Nat. Clim. Chang. 15, 963–970 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-025-02398-8

Owino V, Kumwenda C, Ekesa B,Parker ME, Ewoldt L, Roos N, Lee WTand Tome D (2022) The impact ofclimate change on food systems, dietquality, nutrition, and healthoutcomes: A narrative review.Front. Clim. 4:941842.doi: 10.3389/fclim.2022.941842

AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023, IPCC