Sugar, How much is too much?
I have affectionately obtained a not so subtle nickname in my house — my three girls, who are 12, 10, and 6, know that if we’re in the grocery store shopping for school snacks, or talking about meals and lunches for the upcoming week and they ask to buy a particular item off of the shelves, that the “Sugar Police” as I am so endearingly called is going to have an opinion, and probably some statistics to share in regard to their desired snack choices.
“Oh, mom, the Sugar Police is here again,” they say, smiling at me as they roll their eyes.
I don’t take it personally; as a matter of fact I kind of enjoy the reverie of conversation and the dialogue we’ve created around it all. The reality is that it does come down to choice, and there are a lot of not so great choices in our grocery stores today — all begging our kids with clever marketing, and brightly labeled boxes to give them a try.
Sometimes we put the item… ahem… Little Debbie Glazed Cinnamon Buns… right back on the shelf without so much as another word. Other times we barter, and discuss the value, or lack thereof, of their desired snack choice.
Don’t get me wrong I do buy sweets and treats, honestly more than I’m comfortable with. I understand that kids are kids, and I enjoyed sweets at their age, too. But, I’m also teaching my girls about the value of nutrition, and how ingredients — added sugar, in particular — can have devastating affects on their long-term health. Ultimately, I want them to enjoy cake at a party, or during a birthday celebration at school, but grow up knowing that there are a lot of good whole foods that are really tasty as well.
Startling Statistics
Did you know that an estimated 1 in 5 children in the United States is currently living with a pre-diabetic condition — a fact predominantly due to the excessive amount of added sugar we are ingesting on a regular basis?
The other staggering statistic is that 1 in 4 Americans is now being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, and that it is the leading cause of death in the United States. While cardiovascular disease is the result of a variety of factors, added sugar is one of the predominant culprits, and the health pattern is one that begins with the foods our kids are eating now, not later.
On top of these facts, pediatricians will tell you that the rise of obesity among our children is an epidemic, and that behavior issues like aggression, anxiety, and cognitive delays are becoming more commonplace and can often be traced back to excessive sugar consumption.
Taking all of that into account I’ve been on a quest to figure out what “healthy” means for my family and have been researching what the sugar recommendations actually are and how much is too much.
It came as no surprise that the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association and the Center for Disease Control all have guidelines regarding sugar. As a matter of fact all three of these major health organizations agree on the same guideline, which is that children between the ages of 2 and 19 should limit their added sugar intake to less than 6 teaspoons, or 25 grams, per day.
What did come as a surprise is that it is estimated that children in the United States are ingesting an average of 19 teaspoons of added sugar (approximately 76 grams) daily! This comes in the way of food and, often the bigger culprit, sugary beverages like soda and juices.
You might be asking, How can that be? Honestly, that estimate seemed a little high to me at first, as well — until I started reading some labels and doing a little bit of research.
The reality is that there is added sugar in more products than we’d like to believe, and if we’re not careful it adds up quickly. For example, just two tablespoons of BBQ sauce has 8 grams of sugar, an 8 oz. container of chocolate milk has close to 28 grams of sugar, one cup of raisin bran has 18 grams of sugar, one small container of vanilla yogurt can have close to 18 grams of sugar, and a 6 oz. Capri Sun juice box has 16 grams of sugar.
If a child were to eat all of these things in one day, some of them seemingly healthy options, they would have ingested 88 grams of sugar in a single day without so much as a second thought.
Sadly, more kids than we would like to believe are hovering close to this daily intake every day of their lives, and it will ultimately create an increasing number of health issues for them down the road.
Are All Sugars Created Equal?
The answer is no.
You should know that in talking about excessive sugar intake, I’m not talking about counting the grams of sugar in a banana, carrots, or strawberries. Absolutely not! Whole fruits, vegetables, and grains are where our kids should be getting their sugar from, and the reality is that the sugar in these foods, paired with the fiber and nutrients kids are getting along with them, are necessary for healthy growth and energy.
What we need to discern is where the “added” sugars are and how much of them are in our kids food. The answer is almost always “more than we’d like.”
What Should We Do About It?
I recently chatted with Mike Zang, a local pediatrician who currently works in the Catholic Health System at the hospital level and who spent six years in private practice prior to his current position. Dr. Zang not only sees pediatric patients and their families on a regular basis, but is also a dad to three young children (ages 7, 6 and 3) and a huge advocate for creating awareness for the sugar epidemic that is so pervasive in our country.
In his opinion the 6 teaspoon recommendation set out by the AAP, AHA and the CDC is a very good guideline to try to keep in mind.
“It’s a less is more scenario,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of obesity in my office. I feel wholeheartedly that this has to be a family affair. The parents have to be educated and committed as well. The easiest thing and the hardest thing sometimes is just not buying it. A child cannot have success if the parents are not part of the process. I’ve seen parents who tell me they want their kids to cut back on the amount of sugar they’re eating, but then they’re hiding things in the house for themselves. If it’s in the house it becomes fair game for everyone.”
Dr. Zang tries to offer families reasonable suggestions in terms of where to start, and says that sugary drinks are one of the biggest offenders. “Many parents ask about fruit juice. I tell them ‘No,’ it’s not great, but if you’re going to have it in the house make sure it’s 100% fruit juice and that your kids have one small serving of it a day.”
In his house, for example, they buy orange juice that is fortified with vitamin D and calcium. His kids are allowed to drink a 4 oz. glass at breakfast. “Other than that,” he says, “it’s water for the rest of the day.”
Dr. Zang also says that positive reinforcement goes along way and that he and his wife love to tell their children how big and strong they are getting when they eat their vegetables. “I have two boys who are really into being strong — we like to take advantage of that and even tease them a little bit. We’ll tell them at the table ‘I can see your muscles getting bigger.’ But, we also have to model good behavior. They’re watching us make choices to exercise and eat healthy as well.”
His point is well taken and I’d like to hope I’m modeling similar behavior for my own girls — sugar police badge and all. As a mom to girls who can potentially struggle with body image issues at one moment, and be assaulted with sugary food choices the next, it’s a delicate and often complicated balance to find — the modeling, the discussions, all of it. But, I’m up for the challenge.
At the end of the day, I have a passion to see all children be the healthiest versions of themselves — I suppose that’s just the mom in me. I don’t want my girls to grow up struggling with unnecessary disease and health complications that could have been avoided through our food choices. Hopefully, our less-is-more sugar crusade will encourage someone else to do the same, thus creating a ripple effect in our own little corner of this big, full of healthy foods, beautiful world.
Lisa Littlewood is a Lancaster, NY freelance writer.