Sugar: No thank you, my child is sweet enough.

Diabetes and fatty liver disease are on the rise in obese and overweight children.
However, there is now a rise in diabetes and fatty liver disease in children who are not overweight or obese.

Excess sugar leads to diabetes and fatty liver disease.

The U.S. Government has recently issued new sugar guidelines:

Sugar should be no more than 10% of total daily calories.
Children should limit sugar intake to no more than 6 to 9 teaspoons per day.

One of the biggest sources of sugar in kids comes from soda, juice, and sports drinks.

A can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar
Capri Sun contains 5 teaspoons of sugar
8-ounce Gatorade contains 4 teaspoons of sugar
An 8-ounce glass of chocolate milk contains 7 teaspoons of sugar

Many kids have several glasses of sugar-containing drinks every day.

Every teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4 grams of sugar. The average teenager consumes 28 teaspoons of sugar or 112 grams of sugar a day! Limit your child’s sugar intake and pull their sweet tooth!

So what can be done to stop diabetes and fatty liver disease in children?

Healthy Drinking: Start by looking at what your child is drinking. Give up the liquid sugar and increase the water intake. Get seltzer water and add a splash of fresh orange or lemon.
Read Food Labels: Look at the amount of sugar and remember that 4 grams of sugar is equal to 1 teaspoon of sugar. Compare brands to find the one with the least sugar.
Hidden Sugar: Look for “hidden sugar”. Flavored yogurts, cereals, and flavored oatmeal are advertised as being healthy but are high in sugar.
Healthy Snacks: Choose fresh fruits, carrot sticks, celery, and nuts over processed foods.

Sweet substitutes

Instead of: Flavored yogurt

Try: Plain yogurt with fruit and a small amount of honey

Instead of: Canned fruit

Try Fresh fruit. A cup of fresh peaches has 3 teaspoons (12 grams) of sugar, whereas the same amount of canned peaches in light syrup has 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of sugar.

Instead of: Maple syrup

Try: Topping pancakes or waffles with fresh fruit or preserves. The low-sugar variety of preserves has only 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) of sugar per tablespoon. The syrup has 9 teaspoons (39 grams) grams of sugar for every 1/4 cup.

Work together as a family to improve your child’s eating habits. Start with one new healthy eating habit today. Calculate how much sugar your child is eating and set a goal of reducing sugar intake by 1 teaspoon (4 grams) every day this week. Small changes over time will lead to big differences in your child’s health.

If you would like more information about gastrointestinal (GI) digestive disorders and nutrition in children, please contact Dr. Mona Dave’s Frisco Office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Government guidelines recommend sugar make up no more than 10% of daily calories, or about 6-9 teaspoons per day for children.

Excess sugar is linked to diabetes and fatty liver disease (MASLD), which are now appearing even in children who aren't overweight or obese.

Sugary drinks are the main culprit, a can of soda has about 10 teaspoons of sugar, and juice, sports drinks, and chocolate milk aren't far behind.

Foods marketed as healthy, like flavored yogurt, cereal, and flavored oatmeal, often contain more sugar than expected.

Swap sugary drinks for water, choose fresh fruit over canned, read labels for grams of sugar, and pick whole, unprocessed snacks over packaged ones.

Sugar Intake in Children

Sugar: No thank you, my child is sweet enough.

So what can be done to stop diabetes and fatty liver disease in children?

Sweet substitutes

Frequently Asked Questions

How much sugar should kids have per day?

What health problems can too much sugar cause in kids?

What are the biggest sources of sugar in kids' diets?

Where does "hidden sugar" show up in kids' food?

What can parents do to reduce their child's sugar intake?