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Action on Sugar

Sugar Awareness Week 2026

Sugar Awareness Week will take place this year from 2nd to 8th November. 

As a nation, we’re eating far too much sugar. On average, 4 in 5 adults and 9 in 10 children exceed their daily free sugars recommendations, putting many of us at increased risk of obesity, tooth decay and type 2 diabetes – conditions all on the rise and all strongly linked to a high-sugar diet. 

Our annual Sugar Awareness Week aims to advocate and educate the public, policymakers and health professionals on the importance of sugar reduction. We raise awareness of the hidden sugars within everyday foods and push for better policies that support healthier diets and make sugar reduction the simple and easy option.  

This year we’re asking one simple question, “who's really influencing the food in your basket?”.  

We know the nutritional quality of our diets is shaped by many factors, but one of the biggest influencers are the food industry. Through marketing, lobbying and a playbook of tactics, food companies hold an enormous role in shaping what ends up on our plates.  

This year, we’re shifting the lens back on to the food industry and calling for the government to hold companies to greater account for improving our health – not undermining it. Follow us throughout Sugar Awareness Week to uncover new insights, learn more about the drivers behind our diets, and join the call for healthier foods on our shelves.  

Resources 

We provide a range of free educational resources to help you run local Sugar Awareness Week events or support year-round learning in healthcare and community spaces.

Access our Sugar Awareness Week 2026 poster below.

Want the poster in another language? Email sugar@qmul.ac.uk by Friday 16th October to discuss translation options. 

 

Get Involved 

There are lots of ways to get involved in Sugar Awareness Week: 

  • Add your name to the We’re Fed Up campaign. Join our partners at Recipe for Change to call for healthy, affordable food for everyone. Add your name to the map and join thousands of people demanding greater accountability from food companies and stronger action from government.  
  • Be part of the conversation. Share our research and activities online by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram and BlueSky  Be sure to sign up to our newsletter to keep in the loop!   
  • Organise an event. Host a stall, share resources, debunk sugar myths and get your local community, school or healthcare setting talking about sugar reduction. 
  • Use your platform to discuss sugar reduction. Create a social media post, video, blog, article or press release about sugar awareness. Explore the issue in depth, share sugar-reduction tips or recipes and create your own call for healthier food – be sure to tag us so we can share and amplify! 
  • Help change policy. Better food policies mean better foods on shelves – reach out to your local MP to highlight the issue and ask them what they are doing to encourage less sugar. Find your MP’s email address online. 
  • Support our work. Help support our research and outreach activities by providing a donation. No matter how big or small, we always appreciate anything you can donate!

 

Have a question about the campaign? Reach out via email to sugar@qmul.ac.uk – we’d love to hear from you!  

 

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