In light of a new campaign, parents in the UK have been issued a stark warning from public health officials regarding their children's sugar consumption.
Insistent that parents should be strictly monitoring their child's habits in this regard, officials have launched a free app which aims to educate parents on the level of sugar contained within everyday food and drink.
With statistics indicating that the average five-year-old consumes the equivalent of their body weight in sugar on a yearly basis, Public Health England are determined to clamp down on the worrying issue in an effort to prevent tooth decay, weight gain and obesity among the country's younger generation.
Highlighting the severity of the current situation which undoubtedly requires immediate attention, Dr. Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at PHE says: "Children are having too much sugar, three times the maximum recommended amount."
Commenting on a trend which can have far-reaching implications for many youngsters, she continues: "This can lead to painful tooth decay, weight gain and obesity, which can also affect children’s wellbeing as they are more likely to be bullied, have low self-esteem and miss school."
With the help of the new app, families are able to assess the nutritional content of a number of foods; thereby allowing parents to make informed choices when it comes to a child's breakfast, packed lunch and family dinner.
In accordance with the campaign, it is understood that the Government intend to publish its own strategy on child obesity - a plan which is said to include restrictions on the marketing and advertisement of unhealthy foods, particularly during periods known as 'family-viewing'.
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