4727.0.55.009 - Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: Consumption of Added Sugars, 2012-13  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 02/11/2016  First Issue
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DIETARY ENERGY FROM FREE SUGARS

Sugar, along with starch, protein, fat, dietary fibre and alcohol, form the energy yielding components within foods and beverages. In an initiative to help address the growing burden of disease from obesity and dental caries, the WHO recommend that both children and adults consume less than 10% of dietary energy from free sugars.1,2 In 2012-13, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people derived an average of 14% of their dietary energy from free sugars. With the exception of people aged 51 years and over (where the difference was not significant), all other age groups had average energy intakes from free sugars exceeding 10%. The proportion of energy derived from free sugars increased with age peaking at 18% for males aged 14-18 years, and 17% for females aged 19-30 years, before declining in the older age groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 51 years and over derived 11% of their energy from free sugars.

While males consumed a greater amount of free sugars on average, the proportion of energy derived from free sugars was similar between the sexes (14% for both), reflecting the different average energy intakes of males and females (9,174 kJ and 7,272 kJ respectively).

This graph shows the mean proportion of energy derived from free sugars Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 years and over by age group and sex.

    (a) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 years and over.
    (b) Based on Day 1. See Glossary for definition.
    Source: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2012-13.


Was there a difference by remoteness?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in non-remote areas derived more energy from free sugars than those living in remote areas (averaging 14% and 13% respectively).

How did this compare with non-Indigenous people?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people derived more of their dietary energy from free sugars than non-Indigenous people (14% compared with 11%). In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults aged 19-30 years derived 16% of dietary energy from free sugars, compared with 12% for non-Indigenous adults aged 19-30 years. This difference was also apparent for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous adults aged 31-50 years, where free sugars contributed 14% and 10% respectively.

This graph shows the mean proportion of energy derived from free sugars Australians aged 2 years and over by age group and Indigenous status.
    (a) Based on Day 1. See Glossary for definition.
    Sources: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2012-13 and the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2011-12.


    ENDNOTES

    1 World Health Organization, 2015, Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children, Geneva: WHO, <http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/149782/1/9789241549028_eng.pdf>, Last accessed 27/10/2016.

    2 The percentage of energy from free and added sugars was estimated by multiplying each gram of free and added sugars by a conversion factor of 16 to determine the kilojoules of energy.