Signals to consume more sugar are sent out by the brain, which leads to the body eating more sugar than it needs. “If sugar calories are not used as energy shortly after they are consumed, they are converted into stored body fat by a process known as lipogenesis,” (McNight). Extra sugar that the body can’t burn is then stored as fat. This is why more Americans are becoming overweight or obese. Their brains tell them to eat an additional amount of sugar, but they are not being able to burn that extra sugar off. Therefore, the extra sugar in the body will turn into fat. The extra sugar also affects the hormones in the human body. Ghrelin and leptin, the two hormones associated with hunger, are most affected by sugar.
Numerous studies have looked at how hormones initiate and end eating — playing a major role in determining body weight. These include ghrelin, which seems to trigger hunger, and leptin, which reduces it. The physical sensation of hunger — or its absence — is tied to these hormones. The time of day, timing of meals, emotions such as stress or contentment, and even the types of foods you eat all affect these hormones.