So the kids are finally back to school, and after 6 weeks of fun in the sun I am sure it wasn’t the easiest task getting them there on time for that first day!
Many of us enjoy the certain indulgences that come with summertime, and our kids are no exception! Things like ice-lollies and those lovely chilled fizzy drinks on a hot summers day are commonplace, while deserts and pick n’ mix become a more regular treat. But now daily routine is back for our young ones, should we be keeping a close eye on their sugary intake?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released guidelines of the recommended daily sugar consumption for all ages. I won’t shock you with the adult versions; I’m sure you know if you have a sweet-tooth (and you have probably been trying to ‘kick the habbit’ for the last decade or so!) but when it comes to the health of our children; information is key!
The guidelines suggest that children aged 4-8 years old with a daily caloric intake of 1,600 calories should consume no more than 130 calories, or about 3 teaspoons worth of sugar per day. As you can imagine, this increases as your child grows into his pre-teen and teen years, and his caloric range increases to 1,800 to 2,000 a day. At this point, the maximum amount of added sugar included in his daily diet should be between 5 to 8 teaspoons worth.
Are you ready for the scary truth? A study conducted by the AHA found children as young as 1-3 years already bypass the daily recommendations, and typically consume around 10-12 teaspoons of sugar a day. Okay, sure, this is in America, but when results suggest that the UK isn’t too far behind and with figures from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey marking the average person to consume about 355 calories of added sugar a day, or the equivalent of 22.2 teaspoons – almost triple the recommended amount! – one has to be a little concerned.
So do keep an eye out and where possible avoid offering those sugary treats between meals… it’ll be a saving grace in the long run!
If you do need to register the family, give the team at Time Dental a call to find out what the latest family offers available are.
Take care… brush well! x
