The latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) results, released today, shows that sugar contributes to 13% of children's daily calorie intake, compared to the maximum recommendation of 5%. Adults are also consuming twice as much as the recommendation (12%) and teenagers three times as much (15%). The data shows that the consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks was lower in children, aged 4-10 years, compared to 2008/ 2009, but that overall sugar intake is still too high.

The survey also showed that the UK population are still consuming too much saturated fat and not enough vegetables, fruit and fibre.

The latest NDNS rolling programme results are from 2012/13 - 2013/14. For the full data, click here.

For Action on Sugar's comment in The Guardian, click here.

Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE, said: “This data provides compelling evidence that we all need to eat more fruit, veg, fibre and oily fish and cut back on sugar, salt and saturated fat to improve our health.

“While it is encouraging that young children are having fewer sugary drinks, they still have far too much sugar in their diet overall, along with teenagers and adults. To help tackle this, PHE is launching a programme to challenge the food industry to remove at least 20% of the sugar in its products by 2020. It’s an ambitious programme, a world first, and will be a significant step on the road to reducing child obesity levels."

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar, said: “Today’s NDNS data shows that children are still consuming almost three times more sugar than the daily maximum recommendation. Theresa May must  urgently rethink her pathetic childhood obesity plan, that lacks restrictions on the marketing of, and promotions on, products high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, and revert back with an evidenced-based robust strategy to effectively reduce levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes and tackle health inequalities which she promised the nation back in July.

The strategy must include the implementation of the soft drinks industry levy and a mandatory reformulation programme, as the failed responsibility deal has already proven that a voluntary system does not work.”