Local children learn to be 'Sugar Smart'

Friday 02 August 2019

Children at this summer's Playscheme have been learning about sugar and the effects it can have on their bodies.

The children, who are aged between 4 and 11, are getting involved in a range of activities including preparing food and tasting some healthy snacks.

"[This] session has been around measuring how much sugar is in different foods and also getting [the children] to taste different vegetables that they might not have been exposed to previously," said Community Nutritonist Alex Kosmas from the newly-founded Health Improvement Commission.

"A lot of people have food inequalities. Their backgrounds mean they don't access a lot of this food, so we're giving them the opportunity to expose themselves to veg really.

Pictured: Alex Kosmas with Playscheme Lead Rimna Khanom and CEO of the Youth Commission Charlie Cox.

"Research has proven that it takes about 10 to 15 times for a young person to try veg before they start enjoying it."

It is part of a new initiative called Sugar Smart, which is being run by the Health Improvement Commission in partnership with the Youth Commission.

Based on UK figures, some children and teenagers consume nearly three times their recommended amount of 'free sugar' - any sugar added to food and drink including juice, syrup and honey. The new project aims to cut that figure in Guernsey by teaching young people about what they're putting in their bodies.

Pictured: The children tried a range of different vegetables and homemade healthy dips.

"Sugar Smart as a project is all about giving them the skills like looking at the back of packaging and learning how to cook foods with reduced sugar," continued Mr Kosmas. "All these skills they can keep into adulthood and then eventually, we will looking at reducing certain inequalities."

Around thirty children at the Youth Commission Playscheme are taking part in the Sugar Smart sessions.

"We looked at how much sugar is in all of the food," said seven-year-old Leo. "Sometimes there is none so you can eat as much as you like.

"The more sugar you eat, the more your sugar level goes up so you get very energetic and then you get very tired."

Pictured: Recommended sugar intake table.

Sugar Smart is a UK-based campaign which supports organisations to transform their food environment and raise public awareness of the dangers of eating too much sugar.

"You get hyper and then you can't sleep in the night," said six-year-old Genevieve. "Four to six-year-olds can have five cubes [of sugar per day] and if you are seven to ten you can have six cubes."

The local Sugar Smart initiative is funded by a grant from the Guernsey Community Foundation.

"We're looking at enrolling Sugar Smart in other places," added Mr Kosmas. "Hopefully, organisations will get in touch with us and will embrace the project."

Pictured top: Some Playscheme children trying different vegetables.