Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Featured Image: Valentine’s Day is a billion dollar industry. | Courtesy of Pixabay
Valentine’s Day seems to be a staple for grand love-proclaiming gestures and overflowing displays of affection. The billion-dollar holiday is responsible for the rise in the gift-giving culture of lavish gifts and expensive chocolates. However, as sweet as the day may be, a treat doesn’t necessarily have to be one that’s high in calories.
It’s okay to indulge in chocolates and candies once in awhile, but holiday season ecstasy should not result in high sugar intake. The days leading up to, and even after Valentine’s Day, tend to see a boom in chocolate consumption. For what hasn’t been sold before the holiday, is guaranteed to be cleared off the shelves for half price or even less, a couple days after.
An expectation of Valentine’s Day may be gifts and sweets, but it’s the year of breaking barriers and societal norms. Who says the formula for romance can’t be one that doesn’t lead to a high chance of diabetes? Alternate gifts to a box of chocolates can include purchasing a fruit basket, or baking a low-calorie dessert. It’s also important to keep in mind that sugar-free candies and chocolate brands have upped their game in recent years, and although they may never live up to the standard of the original, it’s better to cut out sugar from a diet than 10 years off a lifespan.
Canadians eat an average of 6.4 kg of chocolate a year. Based on an average bar size, that is at least 160 chocolate bars per year, per person. Canada places ninth on world chocolate consumption, a solid kg more than the U.S.
According to a 2017 study, 64 per cent of Canadians are overweight or obese, a leading contributor to diabetes. In 2015, the value of chocolates and chocolate confectionary manufactured in Ontario was 942 million dollars. Nowhere near the direct healthcare cost associated with treating diabetes, which is estimated to be between $5 billion and $7 billion. This cost is projected to rise to $9 billion by 2021.
With the rate of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer on the rise, a sweet valentine may seem great, but it’s better to have a healthy one.
