[AlanHo]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/lifestyle/health/drink-13kg-of-sugar-for-a-basketball-junk-food-companies-slammed-for-rewards-schemes/story-fni0diac-1227131624050

[beerman]

Why is sugar the mother of all evil, yet salt, far worse in its application and results is left alone?

[Phil №❶]

Sugar is fat in a highly palatable form, unless it is consumed as required energy through exercise or work. Sugar substitutes are just as dangerous with the exception of Stevia which is a natural substance.

Salt has limitations in that there is a limit to how much can be ingested without inducing vomiting.

Both are necessary substances, but deadly in excessive amounts.

I haven't used salt in cooking for 30 years, yet still get more than my daily requirement in processed foods. 

[beerman]

As you point out, both sugar and salt are difficult to avoid in processed foods....Unused sugar makes one fat, salt causes minor things like heart attacks, strokes and the like. I also do not add salt to anything I make.

Luckily I tend to avoid a lot of processed food. 

Both are bad, and are often used as a cheap way to hide the lack of more expensive ingredients (balance the flavour) in food. A responsible government would mandate a 25% drop in both in food. After a while no one would notice.

As for sugar not causing one to vomit, my child self who overloaded on treats at his Grand Parents tends to disagree 

[The Gonz]

Whether salt or sugar gets media attention depends on the year. Both have had their scrutiny. I salt my steaks, but not overly. I have no sugar whatsoever. I don't even have carbs such as grains or breads. I'm still here four years after I cut all that out.

[Phil №❶]

By processed foods, I mean all supermarket items, not fast foods, burgers, etc.

I simply cannot eat standard peanut butter, only the reduced salt variety and even then, infrequently and sparingly.

We can squander all the sugar that can be produced as ethanol fuel material, so why force feed us with the stuff. Of course, a more responsible use would be to help feed starving populations, but that's a whole new issue, isn't it.