Sweet-tooth Aussies consuming too much sugar

We all know that eating too much sugar is bad for us. But how much is too much? And do you know how much sugar you’re consuming each day?

In 2012, The Australian Bureau of Statistic’s Australian Health Survey: Consumption of added sugars, found that, on average, Australians were consuming around 60g of sugar (equivalent to approximately 14 teaspoons) each day. 

The World Health Organisation recommends eating less than half that ‒ just 6 teaspoons of added sugar each day.

So where is all this excess sugar coming from? The majority is coming from sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks or sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks and fruit and vegetable juices.

Increased consumption of sugary drinks can increase your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease, increase incidence of tooth decay and can even reduce bone density leading to osteoporosis.

Consuming sugar-laden drinks also has a significant impact on your weight. For instance, ‘treating yourself’ to just one sugary drink a day could see you tipping the scales 6.5kg heavier after just one year.

So how can you reduce your sugar intake?

• Avoid juices, soft drinks, cordials and sports drinks. Drink only water and plain milk.
• Avoid adding sugar to tea and coffee.
• Limit sweet treats such as cakes, muffins and sweet biscuits. If you do indulge, keep portions small.

Sugar can be sneaky, but sometimes a little expert information and advice is all you need. Connect Health & Community’s dietitians can help you understand and manage issues including weight gain, diabetes, child nutrition (fussy eating and/or poor growth), and digestive problems. They can also assess your current diet and create personalised eating plans to help you get your health on track.

For more information on Connect Health & Community’s diet and nutrition services, click here.