Overview

• Between roughly 12°C and 30°C (54–86°F), added sugar increased by about 0.7 grams per degree Celsius per person per day, with a pronounced rise around 20°C (68°F).
• Most of the increase came from sugar‑sweetened beverages, with smaller gains for frozen desserts and slight declines for some baked goods, suggesting substitution toward chilled items.
• Temperature‑linked increases were several times larger in lower‑income and less‑educated households and among outdoor workers, with responses varying across racial and ethnic groups.
• The relationship leveled off above about 30°C (86°F), and researchers estimate nationwide purchases now reflect more than 100 million additional pounds of added sugar compared with 15 years earlier.
• The team matched 2004–2019 purchasing records from about 40,000–60,000 households to local weather data and projected roughly 3 grams more added sugar per person per day by 2095 under high‑emissions scenarios.