Guidelines Dietary - Eat For Health

3.3.4 Practical considerations: limit intake of foods and drinks containingadded sugarsIn light of the current prevalence of overweight and obesity (see Chapter 1), the dietary guidelines of manycountries recommend significant reductions in foods that contribute to energy while providing few, if any,nutrients. 198 Many foods and drinks containing some fats, added sugars (simple carbohydrates) and somestarches (complex carbohydrates), and alcohol fit into this category. Sugars provide approximately a quarter ofchildren’s energy intake, with 4.6–7.6% of energy coming from sugar-sweetened drinks other than milk. 12There is insufficient evidence to recommend an exact intake of added sugars suitable for the whole population.From a nutritional perspective, good health can be achieved without the addition of sugars in any form tothe diet. For those who are not overweight and are already consuming an adequate diet (a minority of thepopulation), added sugars relate mainly to the problem of dental caries. For the majority of the population,however, overweight and obesity are major problems and require a reduction in energy intake. Limiting addedsugars, particularly from sugar-sweetened drinks, is one strategy for adults and children. The World HealthOrganization recommends that no more than 10% of energy should come from added sugars. 88 Recent datafrom the US suggests a level of 5–10% of energy from added sugars may be appropriate. 757 This is much lessthan current Australian consumption, reinforcing the continued need for this Guideline.InfantsBaby-bottle caries is a recognised problem in infants who are pacified by sucking on a bottle for long periods.Babies who fall asleep while continuing to feed from a bottle containing infant formula, fruit juice or othersugar-containing liquid can develop a severe form of tooth decay. 785 Infants do not need added sugars andFSANZ stipulates that ready-prepared infant foods with more than 4g of added sugars per 100g must belabelled as ‘sweetened’. 755 For further information, see the Infant Feeding Guidelines. 351Children and adolescentsMilk and water are the recommended drinks for children. Children and adolescents should limit intake ofsugar-sweetened drinks. Common sugar-sweetened drinks include soft drink, ‘sports drinks’, ‘vitamin waters’,cordials, fruit drinks and energy drinks. Energy drinks may also be high in caffeine and are not suitable forchildren. Sweetened flavoured milk provides nutrients but can be energy dense; plain milk is preferable.Guideline 3Older peopleIncluding a moderate amount of added sugars as a flavour enhancer can increase variety and palatability forolder people and may not compromise nutrient intake if added to nutritious foods. Sugars are also a readilyabsorbed source of energy for frail elderly people.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoplesIn remote Aboriginal communities, apparent consumption of sugars is much higher than the Australian averagewhile consumption of fruit and vegetables is well below the Australian average. 352 In remote communitieswhere apparent consumption was measured, added sugars contributed approximately 30% of total energyintake, with 60% of the sugars in the form of white sugar added to foods and drinks. No data are available forurban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Historically, Aboriginal Australians had substantiallyfewer dental caries than non-Indigenous people, but this trend has been reversed with the oral health ofnon-Indigenous children improving and that of Aboriginal children deteriorating. 786 Aboriginal children andchildren from lower socioeconomic groups have not had the improvement in dental health seen in other children.Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcoholNational Health and Medical Research Council79