Our yearly Sugar Awareness Week campaign - which will take place this year on 17th to 23rd November - raises awareness of the health risks associated with too much sugar in our diet, and advocates for better food and nutrition policies to improve our food environment.

Latest figures show 9 in 10 children and 4 in 5 adults are exceeding their recommended daily sugar limits, increasing the risk of lifelong health issues, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.  Nutrition, health and marketing claims used by food companies, such as “high fibre,” “natural energy,” and “smart snacking” can create a misleading ‘health halo' effect. This can often encourage an overestimation of the health benefits, distracting from the potential unhealthy reality of some products, and making it even harder for people to make informed choices, contributing to an increased risk of these health conditions.  

Therefore, this Sugar Awareness Week our theme is “Cutting Through the Sweet Talk: What You See Isn’t What You Eat”. We'll unpack the reality behind marketing and nutrition claims to ask the critical question, ‘are products really as healthy as they seem?’ 

 

Resources 

We provide a range of resources intended for local sugar-awareness community events during the week, or for year-round display in healthcare and community settings, helping our sugar reduction message reach a wide range of people.  

Our free resources are available to download and keep an eye out for our Sugar Awareness Week poster launching soon! 

 

Get Involved 

You can get involved in our campaign by organising your own awareness events and by joining the conversation on social media using the hashtag #SugarAwarenessWeek.  

You can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, BlueSky and X or reach out via email to sugar@qmul.ac.uk. Also be sure to sign up to our newsletter for updates during the week!