Colliers Wood School Supports Calls To Reduce Sugar Consumption

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Raising the awareness of sugar in food and drink

Pupils from a Colliers Wood School are backing the NHS Change 4 Life campaign to raise awareness about the sugar levels in food.

The NHS recently launched their free Sugar Smart app, allowing users to scan the barcode on food products using their smartphone and find out how many sugar cubes’ worth of ‘added sugar’ the product contains.

Using the smartphone app, students at Singlesgate Primary School scanned food items, ranging from fizzy drinks to breakfast cereals. They were surprised at the amount of sugar each product contained. The app showed that over 13 sugar cubes are in a single 500ml bottle of fizzy drink.

Singlegate Primary School is rated at the highest level by the Soil Associations’ Food for Life initiative. The school focuses on making healthy food available to pupils ensures each child receives at least 30 mins of physical exercise every day. It also holds workshops every half term in which guest speakers talk on the importance of sport and healthy eating.

Councillor Caroline Cooper-Marbiah, who is also a governor at Singlegate School, said: “To see one of our local schools supporting this national campaign is a joy. It is important for our children to learn from a young age the dangers of excessive sugar consumption and this campaign will do exactly just that.”

Executive Headteacher Nathalie Bull, said: “We place a huge emphasis on the children’s health as we know that in the modern age it is easy for a child to not get as much exercise with all the technology out there. Children are also bombarded with colourful advertising for fizzy drinks and sweets. We promote healthy eating through our school meals by ensuring they contain nutritious ingredients to help the children grow strong and healthy.”

The ‘Sugar Smart’ app provides families with an easy and fun way to understand the amount of ‘added sugar’ contained in food they consume, to make informed and healthier choices.

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January 22, 2016