- Public Health England (PHE) reports children eat up to TRIPLE the “safe” amount of added sugar.
- Kids also drink an average of 100ml of soft drinks a day.
- One-fifth of children start school overweight or obese – that number increases to ONE-THIRD by secondary school.
A few weeks ago we reported on the UK Government’s underwhelming new childhood obesity strategy. And it’s no surprise to discover that this softly-softly approach doesn’t seem to work.
The PHE’s latest report shows that kids are still eating way too much sugary junk. In fact, teenagers aged 11–18 are getting through TRIPLE the amount of added sugar recommended by the World Health Organization (five per cent of daily energy intake). Kids aged 4–10 eat more than double the limit.
And when you consider that 4–10 year olds were the ONLY age category that actually reduced their sugar consumption since 2012, the figures are even more bleak.
The only positive is that average consumption of sugary soft drink in this age group has dropped from 130ml to 100ml per day. But we’re not putting on party hats just yet.
The Government’s childhood obesity strategy includes zero regulations on junk food marketing, and industry reformulation has been reduced to an optional “challenge”. But with numbers like these, it’s going to take more than just “challenging” Big Food to make a difference to children’s health.
Do you think the UK Government needs to review its childhood obesity plan for tighter regulations on junk food?
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