How sugar takes terrible toll on our children’s teeth
“Parents can also help prevent decay by making sure their children’s teeth are brushed twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and reducing how much sugar they’re eating and drinking.”
Research compiled by Public Health England revealed a can of energy drink contains an average 13 cubes of sugar.
An average 330ml can of cola can contain around nine cubes of sugar.
Soft drinks are one of the central causes of high sugar intake among children, accounting for over 20 per cent.
A levy on any soft drink with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml will come into force today. Energy drinks including Red Bull, Monster and Relentless will all increase in price, as will CocaCola, with shoppers paying between 18p and 24p more per litre.
The Government hopes the new tax will raise £240million towards sports in the country’s primary schools.
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “A tax on sugary drinks is a positive move forward in tackling this obesity epidemic, but also in reversing the shocking increasing levels of tooth decay in younger people.”
There is particular concern about the increasing rates of obesity in children, she said.
“This is simply setting them up for a life plagued with serious health conditions, including increased risks of a range of cancers as well as diabetes and heart disease. We also warmly
IS A TAX EFFECTIVE?
THE sugar tax is likely to influence fewer than half of all shoppers, a survey found.
Only 47 per cent of people said it would encourage them to cut back on the number of cans of soft drinks they buy.
However, 75 per cent said clear nutritional information on product packaging would help them cut out unhealthy items, according to analysts Mintel.
Almost the same number – 73 per cent – said rewards for making healthy choices, such as supermarket points, would encourage them to eat more healthily. And 56 per cent wanted tighter restrictions on the advertising of junk food. welcome commitments by supermarkets to reduce sugar in their own label soft drinks.
“We hope these measures encourage people to cut down on the sugar they consume. But a levy on its own will not solve the obesity crisis.
“It must be part of a broader strategy targeting patients’ overall lifestyle, including diet and exercise.”
However, the British Dental Association has branded the official response to the “tooth decay epidemic” as “woefully inadequate”. Chairman of general
BITTER SWEET TRUTH
ONE in 10 Britons reaches half their daily recommended sugar allowance of eight teaspoons by 11am, without even knowing it, a study suggests.
More than 13 million drink a sugary fruit juice or soda before lunch, the research found.
Some 40 per cent of the 2,000 people surveyed by Vita Coco Coconut Water said they pay no attention to the amount of sugar in the food and drink they consume.
And half confessed they are not aware of a recommended amount of sugar they should be consuming, with a third unsure of which food and drinks were actually high in sugar. dental practice Henrik OvergaardNielsen said: “While devolved governments have rolled up their sleeves, authorities in England have chosen to rest on their laurels.”
And Claire Stevens, president of the British Society for Paediatric Dentistry, said: “Tooth decay causes pain and discomfort for young children.
“In some cases decay is so serious that children need most or all of their teeth removed in one go.
“It’s heartbreaking when this can be prevented through small changes.”