Sugary drinks drive teenage sugar overload in Sweden, with stark class divides
Swedish teenagers are consuming far more sugar than health guidelines recommend, with sugary beverages accounting for nearly a third of their added sugar intake. The research reveals troubling disparities: boys and teens from lower-education families consume significantly more—a finding that matters for food companies facing tighter regulations and policymakers designing public health interventions.
Originaltitel: Dietary sources of free, added, and total sugars in Swedish adolescents
<p>Purpose</p><p>Swedish adolescents’ free and added sugars intake exceeds recommended levels. This poses potential health problems; however, little is known about dietary sources within the Swedish population. This study investigated dietary sources of sugars among Swedish adolescents, as well as timing and location of free sugars intake.</p><p>Methods</p><p>A nationally representative sample of 3099 adolescents in school years 5, 8 and 11 (ages around 12, 15 and 18) was derived from the Riksmaten Adolescents 2016-17 cross-sectional survey. Dietary intake was self-reported over two non-consecutive days of retrospective registration. Various food categories’ contribution to sugars intake were evaluated in relative and absolute terms. To analyse differences between subsamples in consumption, non-parametric tests and logistic regression analyses were performed.</p><p>Results</p><p>Sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) were the biggest source of free (30%) and added sugars (34%) within the population, contributing with 4.4% of total energy intake among consumers. SSBs were particularly consumed by boys, adolescents to parents with lower education levels, and those residing in smaller cities/rural areas. Other food categories contributing substantially to free sugars intake were sweets and chocolates (20%), sweet bakery products and desserts (11%), fruit juices (11%), and sweetened dairy products (9%). Intakes of free sugars were higher during weekends, mostly consumed outside of main meals, predominantly within the home environment.</p><p>Conclusion</p><p>The majority of free and added sugars consumed by Swedish adolescents comes from nutrient-poor food sources. SSB intake is highly associated with free and added sugars intake and is the primary source of sugars in the adolescent diet.</p>