Half of Dutch people underestimate sugar intake

A recent study by the Diabetes Fund shows that almost half of the Dutch (47.3%) think they consume 'only' 0 to 5 cubes of added sugars daily. In reality, this is on average 14 sugar cubes, which means we unknowingly ingest at least 13 kilos more sugar each year than we think.

To create awareness about the amount of added sugars in products and our sugar intake, the Diabetes Fund launched the National Sugar Challenge on 5 June 2023 (5 to 11 June). This challenge involves participants eating and drinking no added sugars for a week. As many as 65,000 Dutch people participate and abandon almost 6.5 million sugar cubes during this week.

One in three 

Stressing the importance of a healthy lifestyle in preventing type 2 diabetes. Diena Halbertsma, general director at the Diabetes Fund, points out that if no action is taken in the future, one in three adult Dutch people over the age of 45 will develop type 2 diabetes, which can lead to serious health problems.

Halbertsma points out that sugar is added to many products, even those one would not expect, such as savoury products. It turns out that more than 60% of respondents mistakenly believe that there is no sugar in chicken breast (cold cuts). Many also appear to have difficulty assessing the amount of added sugars in products and would like to gain more insight into this.

Three quarters want to cut back

More than three quarters of Dutch people say they want to eat and drink less sugar, with more than half indicating they need help in doing so. The Diabetes Fund encourages all Dutch people to participate in the challenge and to register for free via suiker-challenge.nl.

The Diabetes Fund also emphasises the need for a healthy food environment. Making healthy choices should be easy and affordable. That is why the Diabetes Fund, within the Alliance Nutrition for the Healthy Generation, advocates a smart sugar tax on sugary drinks, the abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables, and a ban on child marketing. Food manufacturers and supermarkets are urged to take responsibility.

Diabetesfonds.nl