New WHO Guidelines Urge Global Population To Decrease Dietary Sugar Intake

News outlets report on new WHO guidelines urging a global reduction in sugar intake.

NPR: Dump The Lumps: The World Health Organization Says Eat Less Sugar
“…[T]he World Health Organization has new advice: Limit sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories consumed each day. And capping your sugar intake at just 5 percent of your daily calories ‘would provide additional health benefits,’ the guideline says…” (Aubrey, 3/4).

U.N. News Centre: U.N. health agency points to ‘solid evidence’ backing its call to reduce sugar intake
“… The WHO’s recommendations are based on evidence showing that adults who consume less sugar have lower body weight and that increasing the amount of sugars in the diet is associated with a weight increase. It also shows that children with the highest intakes of sugar-sweetened drinks are more likely to be overweight or obese than children with a low intake of sugar-sweetened drinks…” (3/4).

Washington Post: WHO to basically everybody: Stop eating so much sugar
“…Altering sugar intake will be harder for some countries than others. According to the WHO, added sugar intake ranges from about 7 to 8 percent of total energy consumption in Hungary and Norway to as much as 17 percent in Spain and Britain. In children, the figures go as high as nearly 25 percent in Portugal. There are also differences between rural and urban diets, the organization said…” (Dennis, 3/4).

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