title: Dietary intake and food sources of added sugar in the Australian population.
abstract: Previous studies in Australian children/adolescents and adults examining added sugar (AS) intake were based on now out-of-date national surveys. We aimed to examine the AS and free sugar (FS) intakes and the main food sources of AS among Australians, using plausible dietary data collected by a multiple-pass, 24-h recall, from the 2011-12 Australian Health Survey respondents (n 8202). AS and FS intakes were estimated using a previously published method, and as defined by the WHO, respectively. Food groups contributing to the AS intake were described and compared by age group and sex by one-way ANOVA. Linear regression was used to test for trends across age groups. Usual intake of FS (as percentage energy (%EFS)) was computed using a published method and compared with the WHO cut-off of <10%EFS. The mean AS intake of the participants was 60·3 (SD 52·6) g/d. Sugar-sweetened beverages accounted for the greatest proportion of the AS intake of the Australian population (21·4 (sd 30·1)%), followed by sugar and sweet spreads (16·3 (SD 24·5)%) and cakes, biscuits, pastries and batter-based products (15·7 (sd 24·4)%). More than half of the study population exceeded the WHO's cut-off for FS, especially children and adolescents. Overall, 80-90% of the daily AS intake came from high-sugar energy-dense and/or nutrient-poor foods. To conclude, the majority of Australian adults and children exceed the WHO recommendation for FS intake. Efforts to reduce AS intake should focus on energy-dense and/or nutrient-poor foods.
authors.affiliation: 1School of Molecular Bioscience,Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Science,The University of Sydney,Sydney,NSW 2006,Australia.
authors.forename: Linggang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: 1School of Molecular Bioscience,Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Science,The University of Sydney,Sydney,NSW 2006,Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rangan
authors.affiliation: 2Faculty of Health Sciences,The University of Sydney,Sydney,NSW 2006,Australia.
authors.forename: Victoria M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Flood
authors.affiliation: 1School of Molecular Bioscience,Charles Perkins Centre, Faculty of Science,The University of Sydney,Sydney,NSW 2006,Australia.
authors.forename: Jimmy Chun Yu
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Louie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia; D001628:Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates
keywords: %EFS percentage energy from free sugars; Added sugar; Australian Health Survey; Australian population; Food sources; Free sugar; NNPAS National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey; NNS Australian National Nutrition Survey; National surveys; Total sugars