WHITE sugar did not enter the Indo-Pakistan region as an ordinary kitchen item.
It arrived slowly, almost quietly, but with a very deliberate plan behind it. For generations, people in the subcontinent lived comfortably with natural sweeteners. Jaggery, dates and honey were used in homes, in festivals and in everyday cooking. These were simple foods connected with farms, seasons and tradition.
When refined white sugar appeared in the late colonial period, it was not sold on taste alone. It was sold as a symbol of progress. Shiny crystals packed neatly in small bags were presented as something superior and modern. Advertisers and traders promoted it with the idea that a refined kitchen must have refined sugar. Yet the real turning point came through a marketing method that older people still remember very clearly. In many towns of Punjab, Sindh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, small packets of white sugar were handed out to the public without any charge. They were given in marketplaces, outside tea shops and even during festivals. The idea was simple. If people were encouraged to use sugar freely and regularly, they would soon develop a habit that would not go away.
This method succeeded completely. Once people began adding sugar to tea and homemade drinks, the shift became permanent. Jaggery required effort. It had to be cut, melted and cleaned. Sugar on the other hand dissolved instantly and looked clean and attractive. It was easy, it was modern and it quickly took over every household. Manufacturers kept the prices low, traders kept promoting its purity and convenience, and governments indirectly supported sugar mills because of their economic and political importance. Within one generation, white sugar moved from being a curiosity to becoming an essential part of daily life.
Today the results of that change are becoming painfully clear. Refined sugar floods the body with quick calories that disturb insulin levels and push people towards type two diabetes. The liver begins turning the excess sugar into fat, which leads to fatty liver disease. This condition is now being seen even in young people who do not drink alcohol. High sugar intake also affects the heart. It increases harmful fats in the blood, raises blood pressure and damages blood vessels. Doctors also warn that long-term sugar consumption creates chronic inflammation in the body and this environment allows different types of cancers to grow more easily, especially breast, colon and pancreatic cancers.
Sugar also disturbs hormones, weakens immunity and affects fertility. It damages teeth and creates powerful cravings that keep people trapped in a cycle of constant consumption. What is most surprising is that countries like Pakistan and India now consume more sugar per person than many richer nations, even though the healthcare systems here are already struggling.
A product that entered our markets through free gifts has now turned into a quiet public health disaster. A population that once lived on natural foods has become dependent on something that was never a part of its original diet. Reducing sugar and returning to healthier habits are no longer matters of choice. They have become matters of survival. If we do not change our habits, the next generation will pay an even heavier price for our sweetness.
—The writer is former Regional Executive Inclusive Development at NBP, Mirpur AK.
