Do you have any idea how much sugar you're eating? It's probably a lot more than you think.
As the picture above reveals, millions of us are unwittingly eating everyday foods packed with sugar - and getting fatter in the process.
While some culprits, such as Coca-Cola and ice cream are well known, there are many other less obvious foods that are loaded with the white stuff.
For example, Max chocolate candy bar contains more than six cubes of sugar.
Even a ‘healthy' fruit such as a mango contains nine cubes. However the sugars in milk, vegetables and pieces of fruit (as opposed to fruit juice), including dried fruit, do not wreak as much havoc.
So if you’re getting most of your sugar from these sources, you can eat up to 18 cubes daily.
More and more evidence suggests that too much sugar is contributing to the obesity and diabetes epidemic.
It is the sheer quantity of sugar that we consume that creates the problem, says Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University.
‘Sugar calories slip down so easily and lead to weight gain.’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no more than 10 per cent of a person's daily energy should come from free sugars - those that are added to processed foods and drinks, but also those found naturally in honey, syrups and fruit juices.
However, the UN agency advises that people aim for no more than five per cent - 25g or around six teaspoons - to achieve the biggest health benefits.
Yet many of us are consuming way in excess of this.
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