Article by Tabitha Acret, Dental Hygienist at AIRFLOW Dental Spa.
With children back to school, Tabitha Acret, Dental Hygienist and ambassador for the AIRFLOW Dental Spa highlights the dangers that can occur when children consume too much sugar.
Sugar can lead to many negative health outcomes for not just the general public, but our children as well. In 2018, an estimated 28% of children and adolescents in Australia were overweight or obese[1]. Diets high in sugar can lead to concentration problems, poor health outcomes and can cause oral health problems such as decay. This can contribute to a painful mouth and teeth, lack of concentration, missed school and therefore loss of learning.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that children eat no more than 25 grams or 6 tea spoons of sugar per day. Many parents think they’ve packed their child a healthy lunch but a lot of options on the supermarket shelves are high in sugar. Always look at the nutritional panel on the back of your food. Something labelled ‘healthy’ isn’t always as it seems.
Choose natural ingredients and products.
Calcium is great for our children and yoghurt is a healthy snack in itself. Unfortunately, not all yoghurts are created equal in the sugar department. This ‘healthy’ snack we get our kids can sometimes contain more sugar than soft drink. Stick to the Greek variety or natural yoghurts, and add fresh fruit for flavour rather than the artificially flavoured yoghurts.
Ban the muesli bars.
Muesli bars are somewhat of a staple in our kids’ school lunch boxes. They are convenient and the advertising and packaging tends to imply the are a healthy alternative. However, muesli bars can be filled with sugar – sometimes even more than a doughnut! They contain little amounts of fibre and therefore are not filling your little one up for long either. Read the labels and aim for lower sugar products or else you’ll be left with muesli bars that have a 40% sugar content! The daily recommended intake for children sits at less than 25 grams, so when picking an appropriate muesli bar, try and keep it under 8 grams.
Water always wins.
When filling our kids drink bottles for school there is plenty of pressure to add a little something extra to the water. Our supermarkets aisles are filled with flavoured options, giving kids the impression that they are a healthy and acceptable alternative to water. More often than not these waters are filled with sugar, so I can’t recommend enough that it’s best to stick to fresh water for school.
Dread the spread.
The fillings on our children’s sandwiches can have a huge impact on their daily sugar consumption. Nutella is on average 58%, jam 60%, and honey a staggering 80%. Not only are we thinking of the sugar, but the sugar crash, and sustaining their energy levels for longer periods of learning. Stick to your lean meat, cheeses and salads for a far more satisfying feed.
ABOUT: Tabitha has 22 years’ experience in the dental industry. She graduated from Newcastle University in 2008 with a Bachelor of Oral Health and has since worked in private practice and as a dental educator at Sydney University.
Tabitha has a passion for community dentistry,
preventative care and implant maintenance. She has volunteered clinically both
within Australia and overseas and volunteers on a regular basis for the Dental
Hygienists Association of Australia (DHAA). She is the current DHAA National
Vice President, Northern Territory Director and Chair of Continuing Education
nationally.
[1] https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/obesity-in-children
