FAMILIES across East Sussex are being encouraged to get their New Year off to a healthy start by reducing the amount of sugar they consume.

East Sussex Public Health is supporting the latest Change4Life campaign which aims to help families choose healthier snacks. Half the sugar children consume comes from snacks and sugary drinks.

To help families reduce the amount of sugar their children are consuming and choose healthier snacks while shopping, Change4Life is encouraging people to remember the simple tip – Look for 100 calorie snacks, two a day max.

Cynthia Lyons, Acting Director for Public Health at East Sussex County Council, said: “Children are, on average, eating nearly three times the recommended amount of sugar. Too much sugar can cause a whole range of serious health problems, including tooth decay.

“In East Sussex more than a third of 10 to 11 year olds and more than a quarter of four to five year olds are overweight, while 20 per cent of five year olds in the county have tooth decay.

“It is important that, to tackle these issues, families have access to information about what’s in the snacks they are giving their children.

“Remembering helpful tips such as the ‘Look for 100 calorie snacks – two a day max!’ and taking simple steps to reduce sugar intake by using the latest app, can make a huge difference to the health of our children.”

The updated Change4Life ‘Food Scanner’ app can help bring labels to life and show just how much sugar, salt and saturated fat is inside everyday snacks, foods and drinks. The free app can be downloaded from iTunes store or Google Play.

On Monday, January 22, 2018 at Eastbourne Superstore Tesco, the Change4Life roadshow team will be talking to consumers about the surprising amount of sugar found in snacks, and encouraging them to make healthier snack choices.

Money off vouchers for healthier snacks are also available for people who sign up to the Change4Life website.

Those logging on can find helpful tips and ideas such as limiting juice or smoothies to 150ml a day and keeping them to mealtimes to reduce the risk of tooth decay and avoiding replacing sugary snacks with salty ones.

Search Change4Life for loads more tips on healthier snacking.