LONDON, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Public Health England (PHE) launched a new campaign Tuesday to help parents take control of sugar-laced snacks gobbled by their children.
The first Change4Life campaign will promote healthier snacks and encourage parents to ration their kids to no more than two snacks containing 100 calories at most each day.
The PHE said half of children's sugar intake in England -- currently around 7 sugar cubes a day -- comes from unhealthy snacks and sugary drinks, leading to obesity and dental decay.
"Each year children are consuming almost 400 biscuits; more than 120 cakes, buns and pastries; around 100 portions of sweets; nearly 70 of both chocolate bars and ice creams; washed down with over 150 juice drink pouches and cans of fizzy drink," said the PHE.
"The overall result is that children consume 3 times more sugar than is recommended," said a spokesperson for the PHE.
Many of the unhealthy snacks children consume regularly are high in sugar and also typically high in calories, say the PHE. It cites an ice-cream snack containing around 175 calories, a pack of crisps containing around 190 calories, a chocolate bar with around 200 calories and a pastry containing 270 calories.
Selected high-street supermarkets are supporting the campaign as part of their wider work advertising good health. Tesco is to help parents choose affordable and healthier snacks that are 100 calories or less while Co-op stores will also provide tasty and healthy snacking products.
Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist at the PHE said: "To make it easier for busy families, we've developed a simple rule of thumb to help them move towards healthier snacking -- look for 100 calories snacks, two a day max."
The CEO and founder of the charity Mumsnet Justine Roberts said the rule of thumb from Change4Life will help parents make healthier choices.
A third of children currently leave primary school overweight or obese, making tackling obesity something that requires wider action, added the PHE.
