Sugar Smart FAQ's

Why is Sugar Smart important?

Everyone is consuming too much sugar and its bad for our health. Consuming too many food and drinks which are high in sugar is leading to high rates of obesity, tooth decay and Type 2 Diabetes.

We know that we need to halve the intake of free sugar in our population and minimise consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks by both children and adults.  To do this, we need to create environments that allow people to make healthier, lower sugar choices.

How much sugar should we be eating and drinking? The new sugar recommendations are as follows:

Age Recommended Maximum Free Sugar intakeSugar cubes

4-6 years No more than 19g per day5 sugar cubes

7-10 years No more than 24g per day6 sugar cubes

11 years to adult No more than 30 g per day7 sugar cubes

 

Why should I get involved with the scheme?

The environment in which we bring our children has become much less healthy – meaning that today over 4 in 10 children in Greenwich are overweight. We need to change this and create environments that allow people to make healthier, lower sugar choices. By making simple changes to what you provide or promote, you can help change the food environment and encourage action to reduce sugar intake.

 

What will I get for joining Sugar Smart?

When you sign up to Sugar Smart, your organisation and your pledges will be promoted on the Good Food in Greenwich website to show what you are doing to support people to make healthier choices. You will get resources like posters and stickers to display what you are doing, and you will get a certificate signed by Jamie Oliver!

 

Are all types of sugar the same?

No, free sugar is the sugar that is of concern, it’s sometimes referred to as added sugar.  Free sugars are any sugars added to food or drink products by the manufacturer, cook, or consumer including those naturally found in honey, syrups and unsweetened fruit juice. It does not include the sugars found in, for example, bread and other cereals.

 

What is the Children’s Health Fund?

The Children’s Health Fund was set up Sustain with Jamie Oliver’s help in August 2015. The aim is to get restaurants and cafes to put a voluntary 10p ‘sugar drinks levy’ on soft drinks on their menu that contain added sugar.  The money raised by the self-imposed levy will be paid into the Children’s Health Fund administered by Sustain.

 

What if we have our own charity?

If you have your own charity that can support children’s health, the money raised from your levy could go there.

 

How do I get involved?

All you need to do to take part is:

1. Take a look at the example pledges in this document.

2. Agree three pledges your organisation could make about sugar – one each for drinks, advertising and food supply.

3. Once you’ve identified your three pledges, you can let us know on sugar-smart@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

 

How much does it cost?

There is no cost to signing up to the Sugar Smart scheme.

 

What is the difference between this and the Change4Life Sugar Smart campaign?

The Change4Life Sugar Smart campaign (https://www.nhs.uk/sugar-smart/home) aims to educate about the dangers of sugar at a personal level. It includes a wealth of resources targeted at individuals and an app that shows the amount of sugar in common snack/drinks. Our Sugar Smart campaign aims to tackle the over-consumption of sugar from a higher level, aiming at businesses and organisations to make the environment healthier and less sugar-fuelled.  Both campaigns have the same overall goal but are attacking the problem from different fronts.

 

Where can I get some healthy eating resources?

The Public Health team in Greenwich is more than happy to provide educational resources in regards to healthy eating. Please contact sugar-smart@royalgreenwich.gov.uk for more details.