Too much sugar ‘shortens children’s lives’
CHILDREN today may be the first generation to have a shorter life-span than their parents due to sugary foods, according to obesity expert Dr Eva Orsmond.
In a one-off documentary, Sugar Crash – to be shown on RTÉ1 tomorrow night at 9.35pm – Dr Eva and a host of experts warn that people don’t know how much sugar is hidden in foods or how dangerous it is. One in four children are overweight or obese, according to the Growing Up in Ireland report, while the World Health Organisation warned Ireland could be the most obese European country by 2030.
Dr Eva said: ‘I don’t think people understand how much sugar is in their house. I think they will be shocked. After the programme goes out on Monday, I’d like to know what people are planning to eat on Tuesday morning because all those cereals, yoghurts that people eat are full of sugar. One of those yoghurts has 16g of sugar in a 125g tub.’
Dr Anne Twomey, president of the Irish Dental Association, warned she’s now treating young children with ‘little black stumps’ as a result of decay. ‘I’m seeing kids who have eaten so much sugar they are ending up with massive amounts of decay.,’ she said. ‘I treated a six-year-old girl who had 12 rotten teeth, they were little black stumps.
‘She was on a waiting list for public treatment when her father contacted me directly.’
The Cork denist added that their research shows up to 10,000 children have teeth extracted under general anaesthetic annually. The HSE disputes this figure stating there are 3,600 such children which still means 69 children every week must have rotten teeth taken out.