TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - A new survey of Canadian mothers conducted by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Nestlé Waters Canada reveals that, on average, moms are consuming between three to four soft drinks per week. What's more, 39% say they are not looking to reduce their intake of these drinks at all.
REASON FOR CONCERN
When thinking about the number of teaspoons of sugar an average soft drink contains, just two in ten moms correctly identified 10 teaspoons per container. Juice can also come in at a high count with an average 355 ml glass of orange juice containing just over 8 teaspoons.
To put this into perspective, the World Health Organization recently suggested that daily sugar intake be six teaspoons for the average adult - a fraction of the 26 teaspoons per day Statistics Canada says the average adult consumes.
Staying hydrated is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle, but when you consider that beverages alone account for 35% of our daily sugar intake, Canadians should be looking for healthier options1.
REDUCTION STRATEGIES
A sizeable portion of moms are not making any effort to replace pop with healthier alternatives. Younger moms mostly substitute soft drinks for juice (40%) - but some fruit juices contain as much or even more sugar than soft drinks.
QUOTE
The current sugar intake of Canadians is alarming. Excessive sugar consumption is linked to many serious health conditions including obesity, diabetes and dental cavities. Reducing your consumption of sugared beverages will help reduce your overall daily sugar intake. For a healthy alternative, try swapping soft drinks or juice with sparkling water. Sparking water is free of both sugar and calories, making it an easy way to cut back on your sugar consumption so you can enjoy a healthier life.
- Sherry Torkos, pharmacist and author of The Canadian Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine
LIVE HEALTHY. LIVE BUBBLY.
As part of its commitment to helping families live healthier lives, Nestlé Waters Canada is challenging Canadians to take the "Live Healthy. Live Bubbly. 7 Day Challenge." By clicking here, Canadians can learn important information regarding hydration and pledge to swap one sugared beverage with Nestlé Pure Life Sparkling Natural Spring Water, in great tasting Original, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin Orange and Raspberry Lime, for seven days to kick start their efforts to reduce their sugar intake.
About Nestlé Waters Canada
Established in 1970, Nestlé Waters Canada is affiliated with Nestlé Waters North America of Stamford, Connecticut. With headquarters in the Township of Puslinch, bottling facilities in Hope, British Columbia, and Puslinch and distribution facilities in Chilliwack, British Columbia; Puslinch and Laval, Quebec, approximately 400 employees support a network of more than 145 retailers across Canada.
Pharmacist Sherry Torkos is available to comment on survey results and provide tips on healthy hydration.
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1 Kellie Langlois and Didier Garriguet. Sugar consumption among Canadians of all ages. Statistics Canada. [Online] February 18, 2014.
Image with caption: " Sherry Torkos, pharmacist, author and certified fitness instructor. (CNW Group/Nestlé Waters Canada)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140915_C9091_PHOTO_EN_42779.jpg
SOURCE: Nestlé Waters Canada
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