Volume 9 • 2022 • Issue 2

Too Much Sugar in the Diets of Canadian Preschoolers New research finds that young children eat more than the recommended amount of sugar Researchers from theGuelph FamilyHealth Study, a cohort study designed to follow families with young children over many years recently published an article 1 about sugar consumption among children between the ages of 18 months and 5 years. The study also focuses on genetics, physical activity, sleep, family stress and screen time to provide strategies to help families with their overall health. “T here isn’t a lot of data about the diets of this particular age segment,” says Dr. David Ma, one of the founding directors of the Guelph Family Health Study and a professor in Human Health & Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph. “Early childhood is an important time because dietary patterns formed as a preschooler often continue into adulthood. These are the years when habits form.” “Overconsumption of sugar from processed foods can lead to the development of chronic disease, dental decay, and cause nutritional inadequacies in young children,” says Anisha Mahajan, PhD candidate at the University of Guelph, registered dietitian, and lead author on the article. “It is important to track intake among this group so we can recommend strategies to help reduce any concerns at an early stage.” The study found that 80% of preschool-aged children had free sugar intakes that exceeded the 5% of total calories recommendation set by the World Health Organization, and 32%had intakes that exceeded the 10% recommendation from Health Canada. The largest source Overconsumption of sugar fromprocessed foods can lead to the development of chronic disease, dental decay, and causenutritional inadequacies in young children. 32 | 2022 | Issue 2