A Rhetorical Analysis of Gary Taubes’s “Is Sugar the World’s Most Popular Drug?”

In his provocative article, “Is Sugar the World’s Most Popular Drug?” Gary Taubes employs a range of persuasive strategies to convince his audience of sugar's dangers. Gary Taubes is a prominent science author and nutritionist, so he uses his unparalleled authority in the analysis, using the rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos. This is why his article is among the most effective in delivering a message. The experience and the years of research of Taubes in the field of nutrition add much (ethos) to the fact that the issue of sugar consumption is a disastrous one. Taubes also resorts to emotional appeals (pathos), logical reasoning (logos) to maintain the attention of the audience and cause them to think differently about their relationship with sugar. This essay evaluates the use of rhetorical strategies by Taubes in order to understand the issue of sugar consumption and control in a better way, therefore, urging the long-awaited awareness and control of this ubiquitous sugar.

Taubes begins establishing his ethos by highlighting his prestigious background as a science writer and nutritionist. Taubes, as a famous author and researcher in the subject, gives credence to the fact that sugar is not a drug, but can resemble drugs. He makes it interesting by posing the question, “Could sugar be a kind of intoxication by the sugar on the tongue?” (Taubes 1). He further uses the qualification technique to demonstrate that he is well informed of the subject matter and preconditions a critical summary of the effects of sugar. Taubes narrates his story as a father, and how it has provided his story with a realistic touch that the majority of the readers can associate with. The fact that he infuses the discussion with a personal touch adds a lot of credibility to Taubes himself, and he is a more powerful figure of authority among the audience.

In addition, Taubes demonstrates that he can be relied upon by referencing the writings of Sidney Mintz and Charles C. Mann, who have discussed the metaphor of sugar being a drug. He mentions the fact that the impact of sugar may not be felt in the short run but has a long-term impact, which makes him agree with leading experts in the matter (Taubes 2-3). Added to that, Taubes also approaches an aspect of the complexity of the question by displaying the discussion of the addictive nature of sugars by nutritionists and historians. Taubes makes himself more credible by addressing both the cultural and intellectual diversity, along with the authoritative research, and constructs an argument that is both respectful and attention-seeking simultaneously.

Gary Taubes appeals to the emotions of the audience (pathos) with the help of vivid images and the energy of personal narratives. He describes how sweet and satisfying it is to eat sugar, and the pictures are obvious and vivid, showing how you lose all memory because of the intoxicating properties of sugar. Taubes admits that sweeteners have had a long-lasting popularity among people, in particular children, because they can be the cause of joy and happiness (Taubes 7). He entices the readers to recall the past or engage their sense of remembrance of their childhood through such descriptions, thus making his audience sympathetic to the struggle of those who resist the enticing candy.

Moreover, according to Taubes, sugar induces emotional behaviours in individuals and communities and is noted as a part of celebrations and social occasions. He shares the fact that sugar has been institutionally included in the mentioned traditions and ceremonies as a symbol of happiness and gluttony. Taubes establishes this association by defying sugar consumption in such a manner that the audience is exposed to their cultural background as well as the tradition of eating sweet foods, thus making them ponder their relationship with sugar. Furthermore, Taubes examines public health issues related to sugar addiction. In this society, itself is implicated, and the questions of how sugar addiction affects our well-being are of significant importance (Taubes 5). Similarly, by employing such means, Taubes manages to hook his readers and guide them towards the forms of problems that are linked to a high-sugar diet.

On top of that, Taube further comments on the barriers of trying to manage sugar intake, especially on the dilemma that parents go through. He refers to his personal experience of how it is hard to control the amount of sugar his own kids intake. He acknowledges that this is an emotional stressor to parents (Taubes 6). By these examples, there are readers who may be in a position to identify with Taubes and develop a sense of empathy and solidarity. He points out the transcendental conflict of a person with the feeling of pleasure that high-carb diet foods will satisfy, and will make a person think about their personal lifestyle balance. Additionally, emotional appeals used by Taubes are aimed at reinforcing the urgency with which the problem of sugar addiction must be addressed to enhance the lives of people and society in general.

In addition to ethical and emotional (pathos) appeal, Taubes appeals to logical arguments (logos) by providing various pieces of evidence and logic. He employs the evidence of science and talks about the views of other experts to demonstrate how too much sugar will cause inflammation, insulin resistance, and metabolic dysfunction. One of the experiments Taubes refers to was published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, which suggests that, at least, sugar is as addictive as narcotics, including cocaine. Using these studies, Taubes gives evidence to support what he has said and is therefore in a position to demonstrate the validity of this argument.

Also, Taubes deals with contrasting opinions and the potential reasons that lead to refuted common misconceptions concerning the role of sugar in people's health. For instance, he recognizes that not everybody who consumes sugar will develop obesity or diabetes. However, he thinks that the consumption of sugar is still a contributor to those conditions in a vulnerable group of people (Taubes 9). Taubes does this by indicating the possible objections and solving them throughout the whole writing, thus demonstrating his intention to develop a fair argument that is evidence-based.

Moreover, logic is also applied by Taubes to create a border between the consumption of sugar and numerous health consequences. He explains how sugar may lead the insulin system to become resistant, and how additional dysfunctions may be developed, referencing the mechanisms that do so in a clear and logical way. To illustrate with an example, Taubes discusses the impossibility of the body of a person who consumes much sugar to support insulin-producing cells, which can frequently lead to insulin resistance and diabetes (Taubes 4). By presenting sugar as the cause and not the effect, Taubes is introducing the devilish way it alters human health.

In conclusion, Gary Taubes makes a good point in the article, "Is Sugar the World's Most Popular Drug?” by using ethos, pathos, and logos, which render his arguments more authoritative and give a solid foundation to promote the idea of raising awareness and regulating sugar consumption. In order to emphasise his persuasiveness as a science journalist, to shock his readers' feelings, and to present reasonable arguments supported by evidence, Taubes makes the users of sugar believe that it is not suitable for health. By using credible professionals to discredit the claims and linking sugar consumption with the health consequences, Taubes takes his argument to the limit and calls on the people to address this public health outcry. In a way, the effective fusion of rhetorical apparatuses and evidence goes towards informing the readers, most likely with respect to the serious threat of heading towards sugar addiction, as well as in support of the incorporation of other healthy lifestyle practices.