Survey of sugar intake among children in Scotland (2008)

16 April 2008

Children in Scotland are eating too much sugar, according to a Food Standards Agency Scotland (FSAS) survey recently published. This report shows that the main sources of sugar in children's diets were soft drinks, confectionery, biscuits and cakes.

The survey looked at the sugar intake of 1,700 Scottish children aged between three and 16-years-old.

It tracked progress towards the Scottish Dietary Target, which stipulates that less than 10% of the total calories consumed should be Non-Milk Extrinsic Sugars (NMES), which are sugars added to food and drink, table sugar and those present in fruit juices.

Key survey findings include:

The average NMES consumption was 17.4% of calorie intake, which is higher than the Scottish Dietary Target of 10%. In the 2004 Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey, intake was 17.1% and in 1997 it was 16.7% in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
NMES intakes were higher in older children; sugar consumption was 15.8% of calories in three to seven-year-olds and up to 19.1% in 12 to 17-year-olds.
Intakes were higher in those living in less affluent areas, where more high sugar foods such as soft drinks were consumed.
The results suggested NMES intake was significantly higher in children who had been treated for dental decay 18.5% compared to 16.1% for those who had not received treatment for decay.
There was no evidence of a difference in average consumption between children who were overweight and those who were not. This could be due to the youngsters eating less at the time of the study or under-reporting what they ate.

For more information, please visit the FSAS website.

|

|