Sugar intake ‘should be halved’

Excess sugar intake has long been linked to obesity and diabetes, but more recently the sweet stuff has been associated with a dental care crisis as a record number of children are having teeth removed.

Under proposed guidelines, one can of fizzy drink would contain more than half the daily amount for children under 11.

The advice, which confirms provisional guidance first issued previous year, applies to consumption by those aged two and over of so-called “free sugar”, which includes table sugar, the sugar added to food and drinks, and that found naturally in fruit juices, syrups and honey.

Commenting on the report, Professor Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said, ‘The statistics are sobering and speak for themselves: one in five children start primary school overweight or obese, rising to one in three by the time they leave; and 27 per cent of five-year-olds in England have tooth decay.

However, Britain will not be introducing a sugar tax, which has been suggested by many, including the British Medical Association. The group is officially constituted by the United Kingdom government to advise its main health body, Public Health England.

Advisers on nutrition say not more than five percent of daily calories should come from added sugar, which is about seven level teaspoons.

But the United Kingdom retailers argued that they had already implemented a variety of initiatives to cut the sugar content and calorie counts of their products, which the SACN acknowledged, in line with an increasing consumer interest in health and diet issues.

“Let’s make no mistake that the recommendations sitting on the desk of the government will be challenging to deliver, but I can assure you that dietitians around the United Kingdom are up for this challenge”.

Mr Stevens said a “win-win” situation could see food and drink companies use the extra money to fund the National Living Wage for workers, “taking pounds off our children’s waistlines, while putting pound notes into the pockets of low wage employees”.

“The experts have presented credible evidence and the ball is now firmly in the government’s court to seize this opportunity to improve the nation’s health.”

The “Making Sense of Sugar” website was developed by AB Sugar to help inform and educate people about sugar and the role it can play in a healthy, balanced diet.

“As a mark of its intention to take children’s public health seriously we call upon the government to legislate for a sugary drinks tax in the next session of parliament”.

The Food and Drink Federation described the goals set out in the report as “stretching”. Sensationalist commentaries on this everyday ingredient that are not based in science should now be relegated to the past.