Change4Life launches new sugar swaps campaign to help families cut back on sugar

Hampshire County Council is supporting Change4life, a new campaign to encourage families to ‘make a swap when you next shop’ and help them cut back on sugar.

Councillor Patricia Stallard, Executive Member for Public Health at the local authority, said “Most of the sugar children are having comes from sugary drinks, confectionery, biscuits, cakes, desserts, plus higher-sugar breakfast cereals and yoghurts. Change4Life aims to make it simple for families to swap sugary food and drinks for healthy options.”

Children in England are having around 2,800 sugar cubes more than they should each year , more than double the maximum recommended amount. Too much sugar is bad for children’s health as it can lead to the build-up of harmful fat on the inside that we cannot see. This fat can cause weight gain and serious diseases like type 2 diabetes, which people are getting younger than ever before, and heart disease and some cancers. Too much sugar can also cause painful tooth decay.

Some supermarkets will be highlighting healthier options in-store and many will be using a new Change4Life ‘good choice’ badge to make it even easier for families to make healthier choices.

Primary school age children will receive a free take-home pack from school in mid-January. The pack takes children on an ‘Adventure in Sugar Smart World’ and features fun games and stickers to get children to spot the higher-sugar food and drinks and choose healthier swaps. It also provides easy tips on everyday sugar swaps for the whole family.

For information, search www.nhs.uk/changeforlife

Keep up to date with articles, news and publications by following us on our social media channels: