Texto 1

Call to halve target for added sugar

People need to more than halve their intake of added sugar to tackle the obesity crisis, according to scientific advice for the government in England.

    A report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) says sugar added to food or naturally present in fruit juice and honey should account for 5% of energy intake. Many fail to meet the old 10% target. The sugar industry said “demonizing one ingredient” would not “solve the obesity epidemic”
    The body reviewed 600 scientific studies on the evidence of carbohydrates – including sugar – on health to develop the new recommendations. One 330ml can of soft drink would take a typical adult up to the proposed 5% daily allowance, without factoring in sugar from any other source.
    Prof Ian MacDonald, chairman of the SACN working group on carbohydrates, said: “The evidence that we have analyzed shows quite clearly that high free sugars intake in adults is associated with increased energy intake and obesity. There is also an association between sugar-sweetened beverages and type-2 diabetes. In children there is clear demonstration that sugar-sweetened beverages are associated with obesity. By reducing it to 5% you would reduce the risk of all of those things, the challenge will be to get there.”
    The target of 5% of energy intake from free sugars amounts to 25g for women (five to six teaspoons) and 35g (seven to eight teaspoons) for men, based on the average diet.
    Public Health Minister for England, Jane Ellison, said: “We know eating too much sugar can have a significant impact on health, and this advice confirms that. We want to help people make healthier choices and get the nation into healthy habits for life. This report will inform the important debate taking place about sugar.”

(www.bbc.com. Adaptado.)

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    Eating more fruits and veggies won’t make you lose weight
    We’re often told to eat more fruits and vegetables, but the chances that you’ll lose weight just by eating more of these foods are slim. New research suggests increased fruit and vegetable intake is only effective for weight loss if you make an effort to reduce your calorie intake overall.
    In other words, you need to exercise or consume fewer calories to shed those pounds.
    Don’t let that stop you from including more fruits and veggies in your diet, though. Even if they don’t directly help you lose weight, these foods still provide a number of health benefits.

(http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com. Adaptado.)