Additional information
Get involved with the National Fizz Free February
Background
The Fizz Free Campaign was developed by Southwark Council and was taken forward by Sustain through the Sugar Smart Campaign.
Birmingham joined the national campaign in 2020 and will be joining again this year.
Taking part in Fizz Free February
To join in, just pledge to give up fizzy drinks for 28-days and tweet us using #gofizzfree. You can also let us know you are taking part by signing the pledge sign for Birmingham and using the hashtag #FizzFree on social media as well.
Why you should stop drinking fizzy drinks in February
Fizzy drinks are the largest single source of sugar for children aged 11 to 18, and they provide an average of 29% of daily sugar intake. Cutting out fizzy drinks is an easy way to reduce your sugar intake. By committing to going fizz free for the entire month of February it will make easier to cut down on fizzy drinks for the rest of the year.
Why sugar is bad for your health
Excess sugar leads to development of unhealthy fat and weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, some cancers, and tooth decay.
In Birmingham over a quarter of 5 year old children have evidence of dental decay and on average those with active decay have at least three teeth affected. In some communities this rose to over 50% of children with evidence of dental decay.
We also face a significant challenge in the city when it comes to childhood obesity. Just over 40% of children in year 6 (10-11yr) and over 65% of adults in Birmingham are carrying excess weight (overweight or obese) the sugar in fizzy drinks is a major contributor to this.
What "added sugar" means
Added sugar refers to the sugars that have been added to food and drink to sweeten it. This added sugar has no nutritional value and only adds empty calories to a drink or meal. Added sugar also includes honey, syrups and fruit juice nectars.’
How much sugar you should have
Sugar should not exceed 5% of total dietary energy.
| Age | Cubes | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 4 to 6 years | 5 sugar cubes | 19 grams |
| 7 to 10 years | 6 sugar cubes | 24 grams |
| 11+ years | 7 sugar cubes | 30 grams |
How to cut down the amount of sugar you have in other areas of your diet
The easiest way to cut down the amount of sugar you have in your diet is through simple swaps: change fizzy drinks to water, opt for lower fat milks, and choose sugar-free or no added sugary drinks. For more tips on how to make smart swaps be sure to download the free Change4Life App.
The food and drink items more likely to have high amounts of sugar
Kids in particular are getting a lot of their sugar from fizzy drinks, fruit juice, table sugar, biscuits, buns, cakes, pastries, puddings, breakfast cereals, sweets, chocolate and ice cream.
Do young people really consume too much sugar?
Currently young people in England consume almost 3 times the recommended amount of sugar. In Southwark almost one third of primary and secondary school pupils reported having sweets or non-diet fizzy drinks on most days.
Other benefits to cutting down sugar aside from improving your own health
If everyone in England halves the maximum intake of sugar, in five year we could save the NHS £500m every year. Because sugar increases the risk of poor health, reducing sugar would reduce the risk of complicated and expensive health treatments and it is predicted that would prevent 4,000 early deaths and over 200,000 cases of tooth decay each year.
Encourage your school / community to consume less sugar
Challenge your school or local community to #gofizzfree! You can also encourage your friends and family to download the Change4Life app and their other resources direct form their website. Also, you can find more resources on how to keep your child healthy at Startwell Birmingham. Don’t forget to share all the information on how sugar and fizzy drinks affect your health!
