A NEW drive has been launched to help families across Wales cut back on the amount of sugar they eat each week.

The Change4Life Sugar Swap campaign is aimed at families with children aged four to 11 and offers tips on how to replace sugary foods with healthier options. These include swapping ice cream with sugar free jelly or yoghurt.

Families can sign-up for a free Sugar Swaps pack to help them get started and get advice on how to change their eating habits for the better.

Medical advice shows no more than 10 per cent of a person’s daily calorie intake should be made up of sugar, which is equivalent of 11 to 14 level teaspoons a day. A can of fizzy drink can contain nine teaspoons of sugar with up to 40 teaspoons in a two litre bottle.

Sugar consumption is currently too high with figures showing children aged four to 10 years old are the second biggest consumers, getting 14.7 per cent of their energy from sugar. Children aged 11 to 18 get 15.4 per cent of their energy from sugar and adults 11.5 per cent.

For younger children, soft drinks, confectionary and fruit juice are the major sources of sugar in their diet.