Comment: Are Australian children overdosing on sugar?

19 Oct 2012, 4:45 pm   -   Source: The Conversation
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Sugary drinks are one culprit leading to children consuming too much sugar. (Getty)

Sugary drinks are one culprit leading to children consuming too much sugar. (Getty)

A new study says more than half of young Australians are consuming too much sugar.
Charis Palmer from The Conversation examines whether that's true.

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By Charis Palmer, The Conversation

More than half of young Australians are consuming too much sugar, according to a new study from researchers at the University of Wollongong and University of Sydney.

The research, which was presented at the annual congress of the Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society this week, found intake of “added” sugar increased as children got older, reaching an average daily intake of 22 teaspoons for boys aged 14-16.

Added sugars are those added to foods or beverages when they are processed, as distinct from sugars found naturally in food or drinks.

“While other reports suggest that total sugar consumption in Australian children may have declined slightly in recent times, this new work suggests that added sugar intake remains high,” said Timothy Gill, research author and principal research fellow in the Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise at the University of Sydney.

“Research in this area is hindered in Australia because our food composition datasets do not currently distinguish between total and added sugars,“ Dr Gill said.

“This project was set up to help separate added from naturally occurring sugars in food products consumed in Australia."

The World Health Organisation recommends children receive no more than 10% of their energy from added sugars, however the research found teenage boys are actually getting about 13% of their sugar intake from added sugars.

Making a distinction between total and added sugars is becoming more important as experts look for a means of reducing energy intake to control weight and develop labelling to help guide consumer choice, said research author Jimmy Louie, from the University of Wollongong.

“Products such as milk, fruit and certain cereals are high in natural sugars, as well as good sources of key nutrients, as opposed to most foods high in added sugars,” Dr Louie said.

Health experts have welcomed the research, but are keen to see more on the direct contribution from sugary drinks.

“It would be especially interesting to see what proportion of ‘added sugars’ came from liquids such as soft drinks, and what came from foods, as there is evidence that sugars consumed as part of watery liquids do not contribute to satiety and are simply added on to what would normally be consumed,” said Kerin O’Dea, professor of population health and nutrition at the University of South Australia.

“Clearly sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials are still a problem and need to be dramatically reduced as they have no other nutrients – just unwanted calories,” said Peter Clifton, laboratory head of nutritional interventions at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and affiliate professor at the University of Adelaide.

“Nevertheless, focusing just on sugar is misplaced as for many children pizzas, pies, white bread and fast food are more of a problem than sugar, so the whole diet needs attention.”

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Your Comments

Super-power- industry

Rashid - from WA, 8 months ago

Any criticism of sugar, soft drink and sugar industry is a taboo subject in media and government, as it was once of powerful tobacco industry. How many decades it took before the media started to inform the public of its harmful effects. It was a decade ago that the medical fraternity had started voicing its criticism of excessive sugar intake and alcohol abuse and how slow and frightened are the media and authorities of the backlash from these super-power industries?

Alternatives needed

CJ - from Logan City, 8 months ago

My view is that all Australian's not just our children are probably overdosing on sugar in the form of fructose. But there's not a lot of alternative foods and drinks containing dextrose, maltitol or xylitol sugars. There's not a great deal of education on sugars, the damaging effects of sugar cane and health benefits of the alternatives for that matter.

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