Revelations that some British children are consuming their body weight in sugar each year have led to a government campaign urging parents to make healthier food choices.
Public Health England (PHE) has released television, digital and outdoor advertising for the Change4Life campaign, accompanied by a free phone app that allows users to scan the barcode of products and learn how much sugar they contain in grams or cubes.
Children aged between four and 10 eat about 22kg of sugar every year, or the average weight of a five-year-old, according to PHE.
In 2013, almost one-third of England’s five-year-olds and almost half of its eight-year-olds had tooth decay, the organisation says.
The campaign also highlights other sugar-related health risks, such as diabetes and obesity.
‘Too much sugar’
PHE chief nutritionist Dr Alison Tedstone said: “Children are having too much sugar - three times the maximum recommended amount.
“This can lead to painful tooth decay, weight gain and obesity, which can also affect children’s well-being as they are more likely to be bullied, have low self-esteem and miss school.”
Obesity costs the NHS billions each year - a figure that is projected to almost double by 2050.
Dr Tedstone said: “Children aged five shouldn’t have more than 19g of sugar per day - that’s five cubes - but it’s very easy to have more.”
PA