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Action on Sugar

PHE launches Change4Life campaign around children's snacking

New Change4Life campaign encourages parents to 'look for 100-calorie snacks, two a day max' to cut children’s sugar intake.

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Public Health England (PHE) is helping parents take control of their children’s snacking by launching the first Change4Life campaign promoting healthier snacks. This is because half of children’s sugar intake, currently around 7 sugar cubes a day, comes from unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, leading to obesity and dental decay.


Each year children are consuming almost 400 biscuits; more than 120 cakes, buns and pastries; around 100 portions of sweets; nearly 70 of both chocolate bars and ice creams; washed down with over 150 juice drink pouches and cans of fizzy drink.

On average, children are consuming at least 3 unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks a day, with around a third consuming 4 or more. The overall result is that children consume 3 times more sugar than is recommended.

The new Change4Life campaign encourages parents to look for ‘100 calorie snacks, two a day max’ to help them purchase healthier snacks than the ones they currently buy.

Read full press release from Public Health England, here

Media Coverage Change4Life campaign

Read Change4Life’s tips on healthier snacking, here

Graham MacGregor, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Chairman of Action on Sugar says: "The findings about children’s daily sugar intake are shocking and need to be a stark reminder to the government that we urgently need a revised and robust childhood obesity strategy to help tackle the country’s escalating obesity and Type 2 diabetes epidemic. Tactics need to include mandatory product reformulation, clear front of pack colour coded labelling and a ban on promotions on foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar as well as tighter restrictions on marketing, advertising and promotions which hugely influence children’s food and drink preferences. It’s ludicrous that billions of pounds are being spent by food and drink manufacturers on such promotions and publicity which will simply outweigh the benefits of this campaign. Whilst parents do have a responsibility to take control of their children’s snacking, so do food and drink manufacturers and the government.”

 

 

 

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