Revealed: The 'healthy' drinks and snacks that contain
up to 13 times more sugar than a DOUGHNUT
- - Costa Coffee's 'fruit cooler' was the most sugary with 97.1g per portion
- - By contrast, glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts contain just 7g of sugar
- - According to the NHS, 62 per cent of the British population is overweight
- - Eight out of 10 doctors link sugar to type II diabetes and obesity
By RUTH STYLES
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Fruit coolers and frappucinos might sound healthy but it seems they aren't quite as good for you as they claim, after new research revealed that both have more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut.
An analysis of some of the most sugary products sold in Britain found that a large red berry 'fruit cooler' from Costa Coffee contains 97.1g of sugar, the equivalent to 24 teaspoons.
By contrast, a Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut contains just 7g of sugar - more than 13 times less than the Costa drink.
Problem: Hidden sugar in so called 'healthy' foods and drinks is becoming an increasingly weighty issue
The extreme example comes as a new report brands Britain 'the fattest country in Europe' - raising concern about the threat to health from excessive sugar consumption.
Around one in four British people are classified as obese, according to the report by investment bank Credit Suisse.
The report estimates that obesity and related diseases cost the worldwide healthcare system £372 billion a year.
Eight out of 10 doctors in a global survey considered that sugar consumption was linked to the development of obesity and type II diabetes.
The recommended maximum daily consumption of added and intrinsic sugars is 90g for a woman and 120g for a man.
However, the Credit Suisse report points out that it can be difficult to restrict consumption because some popular daily staples - from Starbucks drinks to muffins - can contain more sugar than several doughnuts.
Too sweet: Costa Coffee's fruit cooler (not pictured) has 13 times
more sugar than a Krispy Kreme doughnut
Calorific: Although their frappucino has more sugar than a doughnut, Starbucks say they do enough
Epidemic: Currently, 62 per cent of the British population is overweight according to NHS figures
A sample of products revealed that Costa's fruit cooler contains more sugar than a woman's recommended daily allowance.
One of the reasons for the large quantities of sugar in drinks sold in coffee chains is the big cup sizes.A large drink in Costa Coffee, known as a Massimo, contains 610ml of liquid - more than a pint.
A large Starbucks coffee frappuccino (590ml), without whipped cream, contains 61.6g of sugar, equivalent to that found in more than 20 original McVitie's digestive biscuits.
A bowl of Crunchy Nut cornflakes with milk (17g of sugar) and a Burger King Whopper (11g of sugar) each contain more sugar than a Krispy Kreme glazed doughnut.
Jack Winkler, an academic and campaigner against excessive sugar in the diet, said: 'We have got used to these highly sweetened foods because they sell so well, but this needs to be changed. We are eating too much sugar and we are paying the price.'
He said some firms, including Heinz and Kellogg, had reformulated foods but further action was required.
He said artificial sweeteners were already widely used in soft drinks, and the food industry should consider using them in other products.
There is controversy over the link between the consumption of sugar and serious ailments, such as heart disease and diabetes.
The sugar industry says there is no evidence of any proven link, but some doctors consider the risk to health has been underestimated for years.
Aseem Malhotra, a cardiologist and writer, said: 'Added sugar has no nutritional value and we don't need it.
'The evidence suggests that fat is not as harmful as we once believed and there is mounting evidence that sugar is a threat to health.'
A report published earlier this year found that sugar consumption was associated with diabetes II.
Another, by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, called for a 20 per cent increase in the cost of sugary drinks and fewer fast food outlets near schools.
A spokesman for Starbucks said: 'Starbucks was one of the first high street retailers to display calorie content on our menu boards and we provide customers with a choice of lighter options.'
A spokesman for Costa Coffee said: 'Costa takes the nutritional balance of all its food and drink very seriously.
'We have increased the quality of information available and have carried out a lot of work to find ways to reduce fat, calories and sugar levels.'
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