This Halloween parents of preschoolers should be spooked that their child is eating 60 percent more than their body weight in sugar.
According to a study in the highly-respected Journal of Pediatrics, the average 4- to 5-year-old consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, which amounts to approximately 64.6 pounds of added sugar a year. The majority of a child’s added sugar intake comes from fruit drinks, high-fat desserts, soft drinks and candy.
Excessive sugar intake may play a role in escalating childhood obesity rates. Currently, one in three children in California is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, regardless of age, race or gender. If left unchecked, obesity can lead to serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer.
This Halloween, First 5 Sacramento provides the following tips to help parents and caregivers make healthier choices for their children:
• Set limits. Only allow children a certain amount of sweets per day.
• Offer healthier snacks to trick-or-treaters. Or consider alternatives to candy, such as passing out stickers.
• Limit juice and soda. Even fruit juices have hidden sugars. Serve your children water and milk.
• Create new holiday traditions. Do activities together that don’t include sweets.
First 5 Sacramento encourages all parents and caregivers to learn about local resources that can help their young children. For more information, please call 916-876-6684 or online at www.First5Sacramento.net.
About First 5 Sacramento
California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, adding a 50 cents-per-pack tax on cigarettes to support programs for expectant parents and children ages zero to five. First 5 Sacramento distributes approximately $17 million a year in Prop. 10 revenues to programs and services that meet local needs.