School kids in England eat half daily sugar intake at breakfast time

Children in England consume half of the recommended daily sugar intake before the school bell rings every morning, a report revealed Tuesday.

Public Health England (PHE) carried out a survey as part of a Change4Life campaign it has launched, finding that children in England consume more than 11 grams of sugar at breakfast time alone. That equates to eating 3 sugar cubes.

The recommended daily maximum is no more than 5 cubes of sugar for 4 to 6 year olds and no more than 6 cubes for 7 to 10 year olds per day.

PHE said by the end of the day children will have consumed more than three times the recommendations.

The health agency said its survey found parents are unsure what makes up a healthy breakfast for their children.

"The survey found that of those parents whose child was consuming the equivalent of 3 or more sugar cubes in their breakfast, 84 percent considered their child's breakfast as healthy," said a spokesman for PHE.

Main sources of sugar at breakfast time include sugary cereals, drinks and spreads. Away from the breakfast table children are also consuming too much sugar, saturated fat and salt in items such as confectionery, biscuits, muffins, pastries and soft drinks, all contributing to an unhealthy diet, added PHE.

Dr. Alison Tedstone, PHE's chief nutritionist, said: "Children have far too much sugar, and a lot of it is before their first lesson of the day. It's crucial for children to have a healthy breakfast, but we know the mornings in a busy household can be fraught."

The new campaign aims to help by taking some of the pressure off parents by helping them choose healthier food and drink options for their children.

PHE said its most recent reports show childhood obesity in England has reached alarming rates, with more than 1 in 5 children starting primary school overweight or obese, rising to more than a third by the time they leave. Endit