A recent survey by Public Health England has revealed that children in the UK are currently consuming around 2,800 extra sugar cubes per year. According to the survey 10 year olds have consumed 18 years' worth of sugar.
According to the latest data, Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian children aged 10 and 11 years old were the most likely to be overweight or obese (at 44.3%, 40.6%, 36.7%, respectively). A new strand of the 'Change4Life' campaign aims to support South Asian families to cut back on sugar and tackle childhood obesity.
Change4Life is encouraging parents to “Make a swap when you next shop” to reduce children’s sugar intake. Parents can try swapping a sugary juice drink for a no-added sugar juice drink, to cut back from 2 cubes to half a cube. Alternatively, they can also encourage a higher-sugar breakfast cereal for a lower sugar cereal, to cut back from 3 cubes to half a cube per bowl and a higher-sugar yoghurt for a lower sugar one, to halve their sugar intake from 6 cubes of sugar to 3 among other habits.
Many companies have reformulated products such as yoghurts, breakfast cereals and juices, meaning these swaps are a good place for families to start. Swapping chocolate, puddings, sweets, cakes and pastries for healthier options such as malt loaf, sugar-free jellies, lower-sugar custards and rice puddings would reduce their intake even more.
According to Orla Hugueniot, Campaigns Nutritionist at PHE, “Overweight or obese children are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults, increasing their risk of heart disease and some cancers, while more people than ever are developing Type 2 diabetes. They are more likely to be bullied and have low self-esteem. Excess sugar can also lead to painful tooth decay.”
“It’s important we as a community understand the sugar content in popular cultural foods and make dietary changes. Parents and grandparents too can play a significant role in children’s diet,”said Nutritionist Azmina Govindji.
“Most South Asian households will have a blend of western and cultural foods in their homes leading to high consumption of sugary products. I try to reduce the amount of sugar and salt content in my cooking and make swaps using low fat/sugar products,” said Chef and author Anjula Devi.
Families are encouraged to look for the Change4Life ‘Good Choice’ badge in shops, download the free Food Scanner app or search Change4Life to help them find lower sugar options.
