South Africans have doubled their sugar intake in the last 10 years, says the Heart and Stroke Foundation of SA.
As the country observes national nutrition week, the foundation has urged South Africans to reduce their intake of sugary and fizzy drinks, adding that people should rather choose water under the theme: Rethink your drink and choose water.
The foundation said sugar-sweetened beverages – including fizzy drinks, flavoured water, sweetened tea or coffee, fruit juices and energy drinks – were a significant source of added sugar in the diets of most South Africans.
Gabriel Eksteen, nutrition science programme manager at the foundation, said one can of fizzy drink contained roughly 600 kilojoules of energy, which was 7% of a typical daily energy requirement.
“Our bodies do not compensate well for sugary drinks, which means it does not satisfy our hunger, and we do not adjust the rest of our food intake downwards.
“If your body stores 600 kilojoules every day, you will gain 6kg of weight in one year,” said Eksteen.
Drinking just one sugary drink a day increases the likelihood of being overweight by 27% in adults and 55% in children.
According to HSFSA, obesity had reached “astonishing” rates worldwide, including in South Africa, where nearly half of women and 15% of men were obese.
The foundation’s dietician, Megan Lee said: “It is important to emphasise that sugars naturally found in whole fruits and unsweetened dairy is not included in these limits.
“Eating plenty of fruit and regularly drinking unsweetened milk has many health benefits, including for heart health.” — siyat@dispatch.co.za
SA indulges in too much sugar
As the country observes national nutrition week, the foundation has urged South Africans to reduce their intake of sugary and fizzy drinks, adding that people should rather choose water under the theme: Rethink your drink and choose water.
The foundation said sugar-sweetened beverages – including fizzy drinks, flavoured water, sweetened tea or coffee, fruit juices and energy drinks – were a significant source of added sugar in the diets of most South Africans.
Gabriel Eksteen, nutrition science programme manager at the foundation, said one can of fizzy drink contained roughly 600 kilojoules of energy, which was 7% of a typical daily energy requirement.
“Our bodies do not compensate well for sugary drinks, which means it does not satisfy our hunger, and we do not adjust the rest of our food intake downwards.
“If your body stores 600 kilojoules every day, you will gain 6kg of weight in one year,” said Eksteen.
Drinking just one sugary drink a day increases the likelihood of being overweight by 27% in adults and 55% in children.
According to HSFSA, obesity had reached “astonishing” rates worldwide, including in South Africa, where nearly half of women and 15% of men were obese.
The foundation’s dietician, Megan Lee said: “It is important to emphasise that sugars naturally found in whole fruits and unsweetened dairy is not included in these limits.
“Eating plenty of fruit and regularly drinking unsweetened milk has many health benefits, including for heart health.” — siyat@dispatch.co.za
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