A recent study revealed that 4-to-10 year olds consume over 5,500 sugar cubes a year, about 22 bags of sugar! That equates to about 49 pounds–the average weight of a 5-year-old! This is over 3 times the the maximum recommended amount.
Overconsumption of sugar leads to tooth decay, obesity, heart disease, Type II diabetes, and cancer. Over 2.5 million people suffer from Type II diabetes, 95% of which are overweight or obese. Obesity costs the National Health Service 7.5 billion dollars per year and is expected to rise to 14.3 billion by 2050, with wider costs to society to reach 73.4 billion dollars per year.
The Journal of Pediatrics attributed the rise of childhood obesity to the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet. Those children who consumed higher amounts of sugar received fewer calories from healthy food sources such as those rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Foods high in sugar contain calories that are not considered important macronutrients needed for proper growth and good health. This means the more sugar your child is eating, the less they benefit from key nutrients such as fiber, protein, calcium, iron, and folate.
Get more information on the foods kids should be eating with the monster on a mission, Snackster Sam.
For natural sweeteners, consider using raw honey, dates, or stevia instead.
If you struggle to know ‘the healthiest foods’ to feed yourself and your family to avoid excess fat and the diseases fat can contribute to then join us on June 13th at 7 pm at the Health a Pyramid office. Call 725-295-2100 to reserve your seat!
