Cornwall Children Eat Five Times as Much Sugar over the Summer Holidays According to Survey
According to a survey of 1000 parents, children in the South-East of England typically eat up to five times as much sugar during the holidays as they do normally, with more sugary drinks and ice cream being primarily to blame.
The survey, commissioned by mydentist, found that according to their parents, children from two to seventeen years old would have a significant increase in sugar consumption, with a third of parents admitting they were more likely to treat their children during the summer months. According to the survey, a fifth of children are eating more snacks out of boredom.
Of further concern is that the research showed that whilst more sugar is being consumed, brushing routines are often neglected, with a fifth of parents admitting the oral care routine of their child changes over the holidays. Three in five of these said their child forgets to brush their teeth, two in five admitting they do not check, and over one third claiming that getting up and going to bed later affected their brushing routine.
Oral health over the summer holidays is seen as less of a priority, with shopping for new school shoes, uniform and even arranging play dates are considered more important than dental check-ups.
The concerns over these statistics come from the fact that extracting teeth is the most common reason why children from five to nine are admitted to hospital. In 2016/17, less than three-fifths of children saw a dentist.
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