Sugar consumption down but still a long way to go
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- Published: Sunday, 29 November -0001 23:58
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Public Health England has published new data, collected from 2014-16, detailing the state of the nation’s diet. Sugar made up around 14% of childrens’ daily calorie intake; the official recommendation is to limit sugar to no more than 5%. There has also been a reduction in sugary drinks consumption of around a third, compared with 8-10 years ago.
The figures from the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) collected from 2014 to 2016 show:
- sugar makes up 13.5% of 4- to 10-year-olds, and 14.1% of teenagers’ (11- to 18-year-olds) daily calorie intake respectively; the official recommendation is to limit sugar to no more than 5%
- 4- to 10-year-olds consume two thirds of the amount of sugary drinks they did 8 years ago – down from 130g per day in 2008 to 2010 to 83g in 2014 to 2016
- for teenagers, sugary drink intake is more than double that of younger children (191g) even though consumption has decreased by 30%; sugary drinks remain the main source of sugar (22%) in their diets
A sugar tax on fizzy drinks comes in next month. Tam Fry, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, told The Times: “Sugar consumption is going down because the majority of manufacturers have been stripping it out of their products to avoid paying the levies, and health messages are beginning to get through.” Chris Snowdon, from the Institute of Economic Affairs, added that the fall was “unsurprising since schools treat sugar and sugary drinks like arsenic these days”.
The survey confirms the UK population continues to consume too much saturated fat and not enough fruit, vegetables, and fibre. Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: “Poor diets are all too common in this country and, along with obesity, are now one of the leading causes of disease such as cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It’s clear from these data that the nation’s diet needs an overhaul.”
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