5. Conclusion

Given our current state of knowledge, consumers in industrialized countries are increasingly faced with growing and extremely serious problems, linked in particular to situations of overweight and obesity, not only among adults, but also among children and young adolescents. Among the culprits are carbohydrates, i.e. sugar, sweet products and especially sweetened beverages (hidden added sugars). Excessive consumption of sugars has been shown to generate visceral and abdominal fat deposits, which are factors in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Specialists refer to this disease as a "pandemic": complex, multifactorial, serious, costly to society and discriminating against those who suffer from it.

According to WHO figures, the number of obese people worldwide has tripled since 1975. In France, the obesity rate doubled between 1997 and 2023, and among 18/24 year-olds,...