Our kids are threatened by a an epidemic of obesity caused by sugar: a Sugardemic. More than 70% of our kids exceed the WHO safe limits of added sugar consumption.
Obesity is growing fastest among our kids. By 2025, 1 in 3 Aussie kids will be overweight or obese. Teenage boys have some of the highest consumption of added sugar, consuming a shocking 58 kilos per year.
Sugary drinks, like soft drinks and so-called energy drinks, are often marketed directly at teenagers, especially boys. One in six of our teenage boys drinks more than 50 litres of soft drinks annually.
Sugary processed foods like lollies, biscuits and cereals are often marketed directly at children, using cute cartoon characters.
All this sugar is causing soaring rates of chronic disease. Children are now being diagnosed with adult diseases like type 2 diabetes.
Watch these clips from Jamie Oliver's Sugar Rush to see the impacts of added sugar on children and our bodies.