Almost half of all Australian adults consume more sugar than recommended
THE hidden sugars rampant in everyday foods are wrecking the waistlines and health of consumers who are totally oblivious to the startling levels of the sweetener in their diets. Here is a sample meal plan which has a whopping 150g of sugar.
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THE hidden sugars rampant in everyday foods are wrecking the waistlines and health of consumers who are totally oblivious to the startling levels of the sweetener in their diets.
Nutrition experts are warning that a diet taking in even regular meals, such as staple foods like muesli, vegetable soup and lasagne, can lead to daily sugar intake five times the recommended amount.
The warning comes as new research, which will be released today, shows nearly half of all Australian adults are consuming more than the recommended amount of sugar every day.
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According to World Health Organisation guidelines, sugar should make up to 10 per cent of an average adult’s daily energy intake — or about 30 grams.
Experts say the healthiest diets are those where sugar is less than 5 per cent of daily energy intake — but the research found 90 per cent of Australian diets fail that test.
Dietitians Association of Australia spokeswoman Julie Gilbert urged people to educate themselves and learn to read food labels.
She recommended sticking to foods that don’t have sugar in the first four listed ingredients on the label and have up to 15 grams of sugar per 100 grams, with the exception of yoghurt or fruit, which have high levels because of naturally occurring sugar (fructose).
“If you’re a person who eats two pieces of fruit and a tub of yoghurt you could get up to 55 grams a day, there is 15 grams of sugar in fruit,” she said.
Analysis of a regular daily diet by Ms Gilbert shows it can easily contain 150 grams of sugar a day — five times the recommended daily intake (RDI).
“It’s the hidden sugar that contributes to overall kilojoule intake and that’s what makes people put on weight,” she said.
“Particularly savoury products you don’t think there’s sugar in them — like lasagne — and that’s where the hidden sugar catches a lot people.”
The research by University of Wollongong’s Dr Adyya Gupta, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health today, shows 47 per cent of adults consume too much “free sugars” — those added by manufactures or naturally present in things like fruit juice.
The biggest culprits were sugary drinks as well as muesli bars or cakes while bread and cereal also contributed.
Georgia Gravanis, 24, said it was still hard for people to know what products are low in sugar.
“I wouldn’t know how to read a food label in terms of sugar,” she said. “For me, it’s more about moderation, if I want chocolate I won’t deprive myself.”