Changing UK diet

According to the latest National Dietary and Nutrition Survey for Public Health England, British consumers are already responding to concerns about sugar in a big way:

• 23% reduction in consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks by children aged 4 to 10 from 130ml per day in 2008-10 to 100ml in 2012-14.
• 8% fall in teenagers’ sugar intake from soft drinks in just two years.

But overall sugar consumption remains higher than recommended for almost all population groups.

The failure to improve on low consumption of fruit and vegetables was also striking, with a minority of all age groups meeting Government 5-a-day recommendations:

• just 8% of 11-18 year olds
• 27% of adults aged 19-64
• 35% of people aged 65 or more.

Teenagers eat an average 2.8 portions a day, compared with 3.9 for men under 65 and 4.1 for women under 65.

The average daily calorie intake was lower than 1 expected at 2,107 calories for men under 65 and 1,595 calories for women under 65.