You wouldn’t let them eat 15 teaspoons of sugar in one go, would you?

So why let them drink it?

People around the world and in South Africa are consuming more and more sugar in food and sugary drinks. This increased sugar intake is also associated with the global increase in chronic diseases of lifestyle. And according to Discovery Vitality’s Healthy Active Kids South Africa report card, our kids are eating much more sugar than is good for them.

Adult men should eat no more than nine teaspoons of sugar a day; women, six. But the average adult eats around 22 teaspoons of sugar daily. Overeating sugar is also prevalent among younger age groups: teens should be consuming no more than eight teaspoons but actually consume around 34; and children who should consume no more than three teaspoons are eating around 21. For more information about how sugar affects your health and how much sugar is in everyday foods, have a look at How much sugar should we eat?

To try to combat the ever increasing obesity epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recently reduced the recommended amount of sugar for adults due to the serious diseases it is directly linked with. These include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, dental cavities, and even malnutrition because sugar does not have any nutritional value. It has also been shown that people who have up to two sweetened fizzy drinks a day have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Discovery Vitality also reports that by having just one can of regular soda a day, you can gain 7kg a year. This weight gain increases your risk for type 2 diabetes by between 25 and 100%.

How much sugar is in your drink?

A big chunk of the sugar adults, teens and children take in come from cool drinks like fruit juice or fizzy drinks. When it comes to ensuring that you and your kids don’t consume more sugar than is good for you, it’s important to know how much sugar is in what you drink too:

• 250ml energy drink: 6.5 teaspoons
• 250ml fruit juice: 7 teaspoons
• 500ml sports drink: 8 teaspoons
• 330ml regular soda: 10 teaspoons
• 500ml regular soda: 15 teaspoons

Even a small energy drink contains more than a day’s worth of sugar for a child, and more than half of the sugar allowance for a teenager. And this doesn’t include all the sugar they may be getting from other sources like sweetened dairy, pastries, and sweets.

Be rewarded for making healthy choices with Vitality

Stop eating too many empty calories from unhealthy, added sugars. Activate the Discovery Vitality HealthyFood benefit here or visit www.discovery.co.za for more information. You’ll know what your healthy options are when you shop; it makes a healthy diet more affordable with up to 25% cash back at Pick n Pay or Woolworths; plus, you can earn up to 1 000 Vitality points a month.

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