New sugar limits can be breached by a bar of chocolate

Laura Donnelly
26 Jun 2014
Telegraph UK
A single bar of chocolate, three yogurts or a fizzy drink would take the average person over proposed daily sugar limits announced by scientific advisers to the Government.
The recommendations halve current limits, meaning that the average woman should have no more than five to six teaspoons (25g) of sugar a day, and seven to eight teaspoons (35g) for men.
Scientific advisers to Government yesterday signalled a war on sugar with draft recommendations that would require radical changes to the British diet.
The new proposed limits mean that many food products that fit within current daily allowances no longer will.
A 330ml can of Coca Cola contains 35g (1.2oz) of sugar, while a Mars bar has 33g (1.16oz) — both well in excess of the average 25g (0.88oz) limit for women and using up the full allowance for men. Three Waitrose low-fat black cherry yogurts provide 27g (0.95oz) in added sugars, exceeding the women’s’ allowance.
The advice from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) says that no more than five per cent of daily calories should come from sugar — compared with the current limit of 10 per cent.
Health officials say all age groups are exceeding current recommendations, with teenagers on average consuming 50 per cent more sugar than they should. The average adolescent drinks one 330ml can of fizzy drink every day.
On Thursday public health officials said families should think carefully about whether children should be allowed fizzy drinks at all, and said the public needed to be encouraged to swap such beverages for low-calorie versions, or water.
Dietitians said fizzy drinks had “no place” in a healthy diet.
On Wednesday the Government’s chief obesity adviser said parents should serve water with meals and ban fizzy drinks and juices from the dining table in order to reduce their children’s sugar intake. The new proposed guidelines also say Britain needs to boost its intake of fibre from 24 grams (0.8oz) to 30 grams (1.05oz) a day. The recommendations follow a six-year review of 600 scientific studies on consumption of carbohydrates, including sugar. Two thirds of adults in Britain are overweight or obese, and British girls below the age of 20 are now the most overweight in Western Europe.
A separate report by Public Health England outlines a range of measures that it will consider recommending to minsters in an attempt to reduce sugar intake, including taxes on sugary foods, restrictions on advertising and a clampdown on retail promotions relating to sugary foods.
Dr Alison Tedstone, the chief nutritionist at Public Health England, said: “Eating too much sugar is harming our health; excess sugar and calorie intake leads to being overweight and obese, and consequently having a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease and breast and colon cancer.”
The report warns that obesity could cost up to £50 billion a year by 2050 if current trends continue.
Experts warned of a health crisis with new figures showing that seven out of 10 people aged 45 and over are overweight or obese. Those below the age of 25 are the only group in which the majority are not overweight, the new statistics from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show.
Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said: “These figures show that there is a looming health crisis for the nation. There needs to be a clear message that everybody needs to take control and watch what they are eating.”
Age UK, the charity, said not enough effort was made to encourage older people to adopt healthier behaviours. Ruthe Isden, from the charity, said: “Historically, public health approaches have been very focused on children, and it’s all about getting them while they are young and if you are old then ‘it’s a bit late to bother’. There is a really important need to turn some of that around and actually start talking to people about how it’s never too late.”