HAMPSHIRE County Council is encouraging parents and carers to become ‘sugar smart’ and use Change4Life’s new app to help reduce their children’s sugar intake.

The campaign highlights that four to 10 year olds consume an estimated 5,500 sugar cubes per year – or the weight of an average five-year-old child. In Hampshire, one-in-five children entering school is overweight or obese.

Patricia Stallard, the county councillor for public health, said: “Statistics show that our children are consuming three times more sugar than the recommended maximum daily amount and the biggest source is sugary drinks, so it’s really important to help parents and carers see exactly where the sugar in their children’s diet is coming from, so they can choose how to cut down.”

Change4Life’s app is free to download from iTunes or Google Play.