We know from recent studies, and because it is more than evident, that obesity is increasing alarmingly, even in children, and one of the causes is the excessive consumption of sugar.
And we are not only referring to the sugar that we add to milk or coffee, but what we consume without realizing it every time we take a cookie or a juice.
I recently shared with you nutritionist Julio Basulto's campaign against the support of the Spanish Pediatric Association for some children's cookies that, like all cookies, contain an excessive amount of sugar and cannot be considered a recommended food.
Or we calculated of the amount of sugar that a simple bowl of breakfast cereal can contain. Would you take 4 tablespoons of sugar for breakfast?
An excellent job in the blog of "A dad in training" about the amount of sugar contained in various products usually consumed by children can help us get an idea of how much sugar our children actually consume. Much more than recommended. And how much is recommended?
The WHO, in a recent statement you can read here, recommends limiting the intake of sugar to 50 grams per day and even better if that is reduced to 25 grams per day to obtain additional health benefits.
These amounts correspond to the maximum calories that sugar should contribute to our diet considering that this should not exceed 10%, and better if it is less than 5% of the calories that we consume daily, which in adults is estimated at 2000.
In children, these amounts vary based on age, physical activity, and other factors that change over time, so how do we know the maximum amount of sugar our children can have?
Fortunately, the physical activity of children is almost always the same: INTENSE. Therefore, before puberty, it is easy to calculate your calorie needs and the percentage of calories you can get from sugar.
Based on the tables published by the WHO of nutritional needs, the maximum amounts of sugar that children should consume would be:
| Age |
Boys
|
Girls
|
|
years
|
Kcal/day
|
10% sugar (gr)
|
5 % sugar (gr)
|
Kcal/day
|
10% sugar (gr)
|
5 % sugar (gr)
|
|
1-2
|
1200
|
30
|
15
|
1140
|
29
|
14
|
|
2-3
|
1410
|
35
|
18
|
1310
|
33
|
16
|
|
3-4
|
1560
|
39
|
20
|
1440
|
36
|
18
|
|
4-5
|
1690
|
42
|
21
|
1540
|
39
|
19
|
|
5-6
|
1810
|
45
|
23
|
1630
|
41
|
20
|
|
6-7
|
1900
|
48
|
24
|
1700
|
43
|
21
|
|
7-8
|
1990
|
50
|
25
|
1770
|
44
|
22
|
|
8-9
|
2070
|
52
|
26
|
1830
|
46
|
23
|
|
9-10
|
2150
|
54
|
27
|
1880
|
47
|
24
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Age
|
Men
|
Women
|
|
years
|
Kcal/day
|
10% sugar (gr)
|
5 % sugar (gr)
|
Kcal/day
|
10% sugar (gr)
|
5 % sugar (gr)
|
|
10-11
|
2140
|
54
|
27
|
1910
|
48
|
24
|
|
11-12
|
2240
|
56
|
28
|
1980
|
50
|
25
|
|
12-13
|
2310
|
58
|
29
|
2050
|
51
|
26
|
|
13-14
|
2440
|
61
|
31
|
2120
|
53
|
27
|
|
14-15
|
2590
|
65
|
32
|
2160
|
54
|
27
|
|
15-16
|
2700
|
68
|
34
|
2140
|
54
|
27
|
|
16-17
|
2800
|
70
|
35
|
2130
|
53
|
27
|
|
17-18
|
2870
|
72
|
36
|
2140
|
54
|
27
|
And how to prevent them from consuming so much sugar? That is for another moment, but to start by looking at all the labels. It is difficult, but you will only do it once. And better yet, give your child foods that do not need labels (fruit, vegetables, bread, milk).
Dra. Gloria Colli Lista