British five-year-olds now consume their own weight in sugar every year, campaigners said today.
The statistic was released as part of a campaign to encourage parents to cut down the amount of sugar their children eat and drink.
The campaign, backed by Public Health England, is stressing the effects on bodyweight and dental health of consuming so much sugar.
Parents are now being offered a smartphone app which can indicate how much sugar is in product through a barcode scan.
The campaign is being backed by pop singer Jamelia.
Campaigners say that in 2013 a third of five-year-olds and nearly 50% of eight-year-olds had tooth decay.
The campaign will include television, digital and poster advertising.
Public Health England 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 wellbeing as they are more likely to be bullied, have low self-esteem and miss school.
“Children aged five shouldn’t have more than 19 grams of sugar per day – that’s five cubes, but it’s very easy to have more. That’s why we want parents to be Sugar Smart.
“Our easy to use app will help parents see exactly where the sugar in their children’s diet is coming from, so they can make informed choices about what to cut down on.”
Leave a Reply