Sugar, what are we advising our patients?

So far in 2014 we have seen extensive media coverage on sugar in our diet, starting with a post-Christmas surge in stories about harm caused by sugar. In her annual report on the State of the Public's Health,1 Professor Dame Sally Davies, England's Chief Medical Officer, stated that average consumption of added sugar is higher than recommended among adults and children of all ages. Almost a third of the added sugar in the average diet of secondary school age children (aged 11–18) is from soft drinks, including carbonated drinks, smoothies, and fruit juices with added sugar. She suggested that if voluntary efforts do not reduce added sugar in our daily food, then we, as a society, may need to consider the public health benefits of regulation such as a ‘sugar tax’.

In January this year, the new campaign group ‘Action on Sugar’ was launched, comprising a group of medical, dental and public health specialists concerned with sugar and its effects on health.2 Added sugar in our diets is contributing to obesity, type II diabetes and tooth decay. It states that it will carry out a public health campaign to help the public avoid foods with hidden added sugars. It also identifies Children as a particularly vulnerable group. It urges the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommend reducing sugar intake to below 5% of daily calories.