Samenvatting

The prevalence of obesity has almost tripled in the last four decades and is therefore an increasing threat to human health. Overnutrition – the excessive consumption of energy or nutrients, exceeding energy requirements – is believed to be one of the root causes of overweight and obesity. In literature, it is suggested that the type of sugar, either naturally occurring or free, can trigger different reactions in the human body and influence overnutrition. Therefore, this thesis aimed to answer the following research question: How can the consumption of products high in naturally occurring sugars and the consumption of products high in free sugars affect overnutrition2 in adults over 18 years old on a Western diet?