Per the American Heart Association, children shouldn’t consume more than 25 grams (or 6 teaspoons) of added sugar on a daily basis. Not only that, but drinks that contain high amounts of sugar are also a very big contributor to the child obesity epidemic in the United States. Even just a single 20-ounce bottle of soda can be filled with 16 teaspoons of added sugar, which is close to three times the daily recommended amount. So, where across the United States are children consuming the most sugar?
From the team at Main Street Children’s Dentistry & Orthodontics comes this new infographic that shows where in the United States that children consume the most sugary snacks. According to their research, it was found that in Pennsylvania, children consume an average of 22.862 snacks per week, making it the highest rate in the United States. Pennsylvania has quite the lead on the other states as well, as Pennsylvania is the only state in the country where children consume in excess of 17.8 sugar snacks weekly.
Aside from Pennsylvania, states where children consume high amounts of sugar snacks on a weekly basis include Kentucky (17.757 snacks), Idaho (16.439 snacks), Alabama (14.416 snacks), New Jersey (13.988 snacks), New York (13.951 snacks), Illinois (13.687 snacks), Mississippi (13.478 snacks), Oklahoma (13.434 snacks), and North Dakota (13.374 snacks).
On average, it’s been found that the average child in America consumes an average of 81 grams of sugar daily, which equates to more than 65 pounds each year. According to the American Heart Association, added sugar mostly comes from snacks and sweets (31%), soft drinks (25%), fruit drinks (11%), coffee and tea (7%), and sports and energy drinks (3%). Sugar intake is important to monitor, because too much sugar can lead to problems for children, including higher risks of obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
