Thursday 04 February 2016
Sugar has been in the spotlight lately, but why? The Health Promotion Unit is running a series of advice sessions for parents, so they can find out more about new sugar recommendations, where sugar might be 'hidden' in foods and drinks and practical ways of lowering a family's sugar intake.
To help parents who are interested in making changes to their families' diets or want to learn more about sugar in their diet, the Health Promotion Unit will be providing advice and take home resources at a range of preschool and schools across the island. The information will include hints on finding 'hidden' sugars, using food labelling and a link to Change4Life's free 'Sugar Smart' app launched earlier this year. The app, which is a free download from the App store and Google Play, allows customers to scan barcodes of food and drink to discover how many 4gm sugar cubes are in each item. The app is a useful tool which can be used, and is being further developed for usage with an ever-increasing number of packaged foods.
Health Promotion Officer for Healthy Eating, Lynn Spencer, explained
"Having too many foods and drinks that are high in sugar can lead to ill health, through weight gain and to problems linked with this, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, as well to tooth decay. Last year, the UK Government reduced the recommendation on sugar consumption from 10% of our daily calorie intake to 5%, effectively halving the amount of sugar it is advised that we should eat as part of healthy diet."
The new daily recommendations are:
| Age | Recommended maximum added sugar intake | Equivalent in sugar cubes (based on 4g sugar cubes) |
| 4 to 6 yr olds | 19 grams | 5 |
| 7 to 10 yr olds | 24 grams | 6 |
| 11yrs+ | 30 grams | 7 |
Research undertaken by the UK Public Health 'Change4Life' campaign suggests adults are consuming twice these recommendations, whilst school-aged children and teenagers are consuming three times the maximum recommended levels - with four-to-ten year olds taking in an estimated 5,500 sugar cubes a year (22kg) - the equivalent weight of an average five-year-old.
Locally, levels of overweight and obesity in children are monitored through the Guernsey Child Measurement Programme (GCMP). Of the Programme's results in 2015, Dr Bridgman, Director of Public Health, notes:
"15% of Year 1 children in Guernsey are overweight or obese, and this rises to 29% in Year 5. If we can encourage and support children and parents to make informed choices in terms of what they eat, we can help to reduce the risk of tooth decay and weight gain, and potentially prevent health problems in the future."
Sarah Lyle of the Guernsey Children's Dental Service says:
"Toothache from dental decay can seriously interfere with a child's life and well being. Among other things, it can affect their growth, ability to sleep, general health, healthy eating patterns, performance in school, and self confidence. In 2011, 1 in 5 of Guernsey Reception pupils already had experience of dental decay, with each of these children having, on average, 3 decayed teeth. Sugary food and drinks, which are often given as rewards and treats, are especially harmful for teeth when consumed in between meals. People also need to be made aware of hidden sugars especially those that are seen as healthy options, such as raisins".
Lucy Whitman, the Health Improvement/Health Promotion Practitioner for Healthy Weight says:
"Understanding where the 'hidden sugar' is in our everyday diets enables us to make the changes necessary to reduce our sugar intake. Work to identify the sources of sugar in people's diets has revealed that, on average, sugar sweetened drinks provide around a third of the daily sugar intake for children and teenagers, with table sugar and confectionery and fruit juices also acting as major contributors. It is important to spot where your particular diet includes high-sugar foods and drinks, and making some swaps can help to keep you within the recommended daily limits. Keeping up with whole grains and with fruit and vegetables will also help to make sure your diet is a healthy one."
-Ends-
The advice sessions will be running at the following times:
| Location | Time | Date |
| St Mary & St Michael Primary School | 14:50 | Tuesday 9 February |
| Mes Amis Pre-School, Capelles Community Centre | 11:30 to 12:15 | Wednesday 17 February |
| Mes Amis Pre-School, Capelles Community Centre | 11:30 to 12:15 | Thursday 18 February |
