The average teenager consumes 100 grams of sugar in a single day according to Dr. Erin Clifton, co-owner and chiropractor at Positively Chiropractic. With levels like that, trying to get healthy is a long shot.

While looking through a child’s lunch box, it’s not hard to find snacks like Twinkies, Ho Ho’s, Zebra Cakes and Dingers, or other chocolate snacks with goofy names. However, sugar addiction is no joke. According to WebMD, an online publisher with information on health and the human body, sugar works like a reward system in the brain.

The body even has to detox from sugar, which can be done by anyone by slowly weaning the body off of it.

On his cooking and health website, which includes facts about children’s health, professional chef Jamie Oliver said, “There are 42 million children under five who are obese or overweight.” He thinks this number will rise to 60 million by 2020.

Oliver argues that there are plenty of ways to fix this issue. Instead of oatmeal packets, use oats and make the oatmeal, using dried fruits as a natural sweetener. He adds that people might mistake hunger for thirst, so he suggests drinking water before reaching for any snacks.

Oliver has one simple rule: if it isn’t in the house, then you can’t eat it. This means that if the bad food is not in the cupboards, then it can not be consumed.

Though people consume a lot of sugar, not all sugars are bad.

There are two types: naturally occurring sugars and free sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are found in foods like yogurts, fruits, and vegetables. Free sugars are the ones that are applied to treats such as the sugars in pop, candy and sweets.

Mass consumption of free sugars can result in tooth decay and even type 2 diabetes, according to Oliver.

Erin Clifton feels strongly about the negative effects of sugar.

“Consistent chiropractic care is part of a healthy lifestyle, so really I’ve been pursuing knowledge in the field of natural health and wellness for well over a decade,” Clifton said. “That’s why we do the Sugar Sweet Challenge every January, because people need to be aware of how they are treating their bodies, including what you eat. Every lifestyle choice you make is either bringing you closer to health, or away from it.”

Sugar can work like heroin by activating the same parts of the brain that heroin does.

“Frequent overuse causes the same symptoms you’ll see with other addictive substances like nicotine, alcohol and drugs.” Clifton said. “Cravings, withdrawal symptoms and increased tolerance levels, meaning your brain needs more and more to experience that ‘feel-good high.’ We are living in a culture that is getting sicker and sicker with the cost of healthcare rising. A large part of that is due to these lifestyle diseases that start with what we are eating and drinking and create more and more problems.”