【Children's Health Series】Children love to eat sweets. What should I do?

Sugar, or to put it in more detail [Added Sugar]-that is, additional refined sugars, usually means monosaccharides or disaccharides. A large number of studies in recent years have shown that additional sugars should not be over-ingested due to potential health hazards, regardless of adults or children. In the previous article 【2015-2020 U.S. Dietary Health Guidelines】, we have already mentioned in detail that theThe recommended amount for the average person is: added sugar <10% of daily calorie intake. However, children are classified as susceptible groups, so the recommendations for children are usually more rigorous.

According to the research data referenced by WHO, if the daily calorie intake ratio of added sugar is further reduced to 5%, there will be additional health benefits. And most of the research data show that added sugar can only satisfy appetite and provide calories without further use, which means it is basically a kind of food that is harmful but not beneficial. Therefore, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) specifically announced for childrenRecommended Guidelines for Added Sugar. The following is organized content:

【American Academy of Pediatrics: Recommendations for Children's Intake of Added Sugar】
Whether eating or drinking foods containing too much added sugar, children will have higher risks of many diseases, including: dental caries, obesity, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, etc. Therefore, if reality permits, please try toAVOID providing foods containing added sugar to children.
If separated by age,It is recommended that children under 2 years of age avoid ingestion of added sugar completely. For children over 2 years of age, it is recommended that the daily intake of added sugar should be less than 25 g (about 6 teaspoons).
With the progress of the times, nutrition labels on food packaging are becoming more and more detailed. It is recommended toRead the nutrition label before buying and try to avoid buying foods containing added sugar for children(Taiwan food nutrition label will have a column named "sugar", which means added sugar). In daily life, the following methods can be used to reduce the intake of added sugars in children's diets, while partially satisfying children's desire for sweetness:
1. If children want to drink drinks, try toprovide beverages containing natural sugar sources such as water, milk, or soy milk, to replace other drinks rich in added sugar.
2. The presence of added sugar is common in processed foods, such as dried fruit, tomato sauce, sweet beans, etc. So please avoid buying them.
3. If children want sweets, try toreplace sweets with fruits.
4. Even the juice advertised as extracted from 100% natural fruit, contains more sugar than the fruit itself. Therefore, children under 1 are advised to avoid drinking it. Children aged 1 to 3 are advised to consume less than 4 oz per day (approximately 120 cc). The recommended daily intake for children aged 4 to 6 should be less than 6 oz (about 180 cc). And the recommended daily intake for children aged 7 to 14 should be less than 8 oz (about 240 cc).

Based on the above, we sincerely recommends thatPlease keep children away from added sugar.If children like to eat sweets, it might be caused by the eating habits of the family in the past, and bad eating habits should be stopped then. Parents are advised to replace added sugar with natural ingredients. Let's make our next generation healthier!

〈The author is former Attending Physician in National Taiwan University Hospital, and Master of Science from National Taiwan University〉