Many young people consume more sugar than WHO recommendations

On May 16, in Hanoi, the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in collaboration with the Global Public Health Organization Vital Strategies organized a seminar on "Learning about the harmful effects of sugary drinks on today's youth."

The activity aims to raise awareness among youth and the community about the harmful effects of sugary drinks on the physical and mental health of young people.

According to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), total soft drink consumption in Vietnam has increased more than four times in the past 15 years, from 1.59 billion liters (2009) to 6.67 billion liters (2023), with a very rapid increase in the period 2009-2014 (20%/year).

Per capita consumption is also increasing rapidly, from 18.5 liters/person in 2009 to 66.5 liters/person in 2023 (an increase of 350%). Sugar consumption is estimated to increase by an average of 6.4% per year during the period 2023-2028, for a total increase of 36.6%.

According to experts, children and adolescents can easily access and use sugary drinks anywhere, in any situation, and only a few families control their use of sugary drinks.

The appeal of sugary drinks has hit the tastes and preferences of the majority of young people and quickly created a lack of control in their use, leading to major impacts on the health of the young generation.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Thu Hien, Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Nutritional Metabolism, Institute of Nutrition, said that drinking even just one can of soft drink a day can cause you to take in 30-40g of free sugar - exceeding the daily recommendation of WHO.

In terms of immediate harm, consuming soft drinks can stimulate appetite, reduce satiety, increase consumption of other unhealthy foods, which means reducing the opportunity to consume other healthier foods and can lead to negative changes in young people's eating behavior. In the long term, this increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders.

More worryingly, combined with regular consumption of soft drinks, many young people are leading a sedentary lifestyle with little exercise, causing even more serious impacts on health.

According to WHO, adolescents should limit their sugar intake as much as possible and if they do consume it, they should not consume more than 25 grams of free sugar per day (equivalent to 6 teaspoons).

This number includes free sugars (simple sugars, disaccharides) from the diet such as sugars present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates, foods and drinks containing added sugars added during the manufacturing process and sugars added in the preparation of everyday dishes.

Limiting sugar consumption helps control weight, prevent non-communicable diseases and support healthy physical and mental development.

Master, Doctor Nguyen Tuan Lam, Expert in Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors, WHO Office in Vietnam, shared that healtheducation should start as early as possible – ideally from primary school age. This is the stage of forming long-term habits.

When children are equipped with the right knowledge from a young age, they will easily form a healthy lifestyle, gradually reducing their dependence on sugary products.

Deputy Chief of the Central Office of the Youth Union Cu Duc Quan affirmed: “Over the years, the Central Youth Union has always focused on promoting education and orienting a healthy lifestyle for the young generation; actively implementing and organizing programs and activities, creating an environment for caring for and accompanying the improvement of health and physical development for young people... Many activities have left positive impressions, spreading widely across the country, and have been responded to by a large number of union members and young people, contributing to building a healthy and comprehensively developed future generation of young people. In the coming time, the Central Youth Union will continue to coordinate with medical organizations to promote propaganda and raise awareness among young people about the harmful effects of sugary drinks, contributing to creating a healthy, proactive, confident and positive young generation.”

The seminar provided scientific and updated information on the harmful effects of sugary drinks for union members in particular and young people in general. In the coming time, with the active participation of the Central Youth Union, propaganda and education on nutrition and healthy lifestyle will continue to be promoted.

Thereby, contributing to forming responsible consumption habits, building a generation of young Vietnamese people to develop comprehensively in terms of physical and mental health, ready to step firmly into the future./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/nhieu-nguoi-tre-nap-duong-vuot-khuyen-nghi-who-post1038952.vnp