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Children at forefront of falling sugar consumption
Australia’s reduction in overall sugar consumption is being led by children’s lower intake of added sugars, according to new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS’s) ‘Australian Health Survey: Consumption of added sugars, 2011–12’ has revealed that the average daily intake of ‘free sugars’ (added in the consumption and production of food, and honey and those naturally present in fruit juices) declined by 23% for children aged 2–18 between 1995 and 2011–12.
The data showed that total free sugar intake of children aged 2–18 decreased by an average of almost six teaspoons of sugar – from 105 g to 81 g per day – per 10,000 kJ of energy.
According to ABS Director of Health Louise Gates, much of this decline can be attributed to reduced consumption of soft drinks, cordial and fruit juice.
‘Beverages are the most common source of free sugars, so the reduction in this has made a big difference,’ she said.
Overall, Australians received less energy from free sugars on a given day in 2011–12 (10.9%) than in 1995 (12.5%), but still exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit of 10%.
Australian-Bureau-of-Statistics sugar-consumption sugar-intake
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