Healthy Eating: Reducing
the consumption of sugary drinks
among Turkish and Moroccan
adolescents
Health issue and social inequity
There is a lot of evidence that links the consumption of sugar to
negative health outcomes, such as weight gain and obesity,
cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance and dental caries
(Bleich & Vercammen, 2018). Despite this existing evidence on
the consequences, the intake of sugar remains high worldwide.
Sugar is a cheap and rather available product, which makes it
attractive to consume (World Cancer Research Fund
International, 2015). The World Cancer Research Fund
, International (2015) researched sugar intake globally and found
a growth from about 130 million tonnes to 178 million tonnes
within the last decade (2005-2015). A prominent source of
sugar intake is formed by sugary drinks (e.g. sodas and energy
drinks). For instance, in America (e.g. Mexico), sugar-sweetened
beverages are the primary contributors of the heightened
sugar-intake. They make up for 10% of the total energy intake
per day for both children and adults. Even more concerning is
that in 13 Latin American countries, there is a threefold
increase in the sales of sugar-sweetened beverages over the
past decade (Rahman, Jomaa, Kahale, Adair, & Pine, 2017).
The intake of sugar is also high in European countries, with
the major contribution to this being sugar-sweetened beverages
as well. One of these European countries is the Netherlands
(Braesco, Sluik, Maillot, Kok, & Moreno, 2017). Dutch residents
have a higher sugar intake than the level of intake
recommended by the national dietary guidelines. This
statement is also true for Utrecht, the city in the centre of the
country. Utrecht Health Monitor (2018) shows an average of 52
percent of children between age 5 and 11 to consume two or
more sugary drinks every day. Among youngsters, one in seven
drinks a lot of sugary drinks, whereas there is no such data
existing for adults and elderly (Utrecht Health Monitor, 2018).
As indicated before, sugary beverages are considered to be a
major contribution to heightened sugar intake in European
countries. This is also true for the Netherlands. (Van der Maas,
2018) shows an average consumption of soda of 86,4 litres in
2016 in. What stands out is that people in the age of 7 to 29 are
overrepresented in this use of sugary drinks (van der Maas,
2018). For this reason, adolescents between 18 and 25 years
will be the main target group for this paper.
the consumption of sugary drinks
among Turkish and Moroccan
adolescents
Health issue and social inequity
There is a lot of evidence that links the consumption of sugar to
negative health outcomes, such as weight gain and obesity,
cardiovascular diseases, insulin resistance and dental caries
(Bleich & Vercammen, 2018). Despite this existing evidence on
the consequences, the intake of sugar remains high worldwide.
Sugar is a cheap and rather available product, which makes it
attractive to consume (World Cancer Research Fund
International, 2015). The World Cancer Research Fund
, International (2015) researched sugar intake globally and found
a growth from about 130 million tonnes to 178 million tonnes
within the last decade (2005-2015). A prominent source of
sugar intake is formed by sugary drinks (e.g. sodas and energy
drinks). For instance, in America (e.g. Mexico), sugar-sweetened
beverages are the primary contributors of the heightened
sugar-intake. They make up for 10% of the total energy intake
per day for both children and adults. Even more concerning is
that in 13 Latin American countries, there is a threefold
increase in the sales of sugar-sweetened beverages over the
past decade (Rahman, Jomaa, Kahale, Adair, & Pine, 2017).
The intake of sugar is also high in European countries, with
the major contribution to this being sugar-sweetened beverages
as well. One of these European countries is the Netherlands
(Braesco, Sluik, Maillot, Kok, & Moreno, 2017). Dutch residents
have a higher sugar intake than the level of intake
recommended by the national dietary guidelines. This
statement is also true for Utrecht, the city in the centre of the
country. Utrecht Health Monitor (2018) shows an average of 52
percent of children between age 5 and 11 to consume two or
more sugary drinks every day. Among youngsters, one in seven
drinks a lot of sugary drinks, whereas there is no such data
existing for adults and elderly (Utrecht Health Monitor, 2018).
As indicated before, sugary beverages are considered to be a
major contribution to heightened sugar intake in European
countries. This is also true for the Netherlands. (Van der Maas,
2018) shows an average consumption of soda of 86,4 litres in
2016 in. What stands out is that people in the age of 7 to 29 are
overrepresented in this use of sugary drinks (van der Maas,
2018). For this reason, adolescents between 18 and 25 years
will be the main target group for this paper.
