Office worker A visits a cafe right after lunch every day. To get through fatigued afternoons, he drinks iced coffee loaded with syrup, and sometimes sweet chocolate beverages. At a recent health check-up, however, a doctor delivered a stern warning: "You need to manage your blood sugar levels."
According to the "Fact Sheet 2024" released by the Korean Diabetes Association on the 13th, 41.1% of Korean adults aged 30 and over are in a prediabetic state.
Prediabetes, the stage immediately preceding a diabetes diagnosis, is no longer a condition affecting only specific high-risk groups but has become a reality experienced by nearly half of the population. In the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's finalized "2024 Cause of Death Statistics," diabetes ranked seventh among all causes of death overall, and sixth among men.
The issue lies in the source of sugar intake. According to a survey by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, about 47% of the sugar Koreans consume through processed foods comes from beverages, bread, and snacks. The busy lives of modern people have normalized beverages as a method of "quick sugar refueling."
The reason liquid sugar is more dangerous than sugar in solid foods lies in the speed of absorption. Solid foods have a protective barrier in the form of dietary fiber, which allows blood sugar to rise gradually.
Liquid sugar, on the other hand, lacks this barrier. Excessive sugar floods into the bloodstream before the brain even registers a feeling of fullness, rapidly elevating blood glucose concentrations. When this process is repeated, insulin resistance builds up, increasing the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes.
According to a meta-analysis published in the international journal Advances in Nutrition, the relative risk of developing type 2 diabetes rose by about 25% for each additional daily serving (approximately 355 ml) of sugar-sweetened beverages consumed. Given the dense presence of cafes and convenience stores in Korea's office districts, this figure represents not a mere statistic but a present risk shared by everyone.
The surge in diabetes patients ultimately translates into a deterioration of national health insurance finances. Amid this crisis, a "sugar levy" policy is moving toward reality. The concept, modeled after tobacco taxes, aims to curb sugar consumption and use the proceeds as a source of funding for public healthcare. Recently, the National Assembly and the industry have been at odds over whether to include artificial sweeteners used in zero-calorie beverages within the scope of the levy.
In line with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, several countries have already implemented related policies. Observers say Korea's policy has moved beyond the draft stage and entered the phase of concrete legislation.
An occasional drink does not cause disease the next day. But when the choice is repeated daily, it can lead to a diabetes diagnosis and years of medical expenses. Experts recommend drinking plain water or unsweetened tea instead.
