Knowledge of Sugars Consumption and the WHO Sugars Guideline among Canadian Dietitians and Other Health Professionals.

Purpose: The objective was to assess knowledge related to sugars consumption and World Health Organization (WHO) sugars guideline among Canadian dietitians and other health professionals. Methods: A multiple-choice style survey was administered at Dietitians of Canada and Canadian Diabetes Association conferences in 2014. Results: The study showed that only 12% of the surveyed respondents (n = 335) in 2014 were able to correctly identify the amount of added sugars consumed by Canadians, whereas two-thirds overestimated this amount. About 10% of the respondents knew that the 10% guideline by WHO for free sugars was based on evidence related to dental caries. Registered dietitians had relatively better knowledge of Canadian sugars consumption (P = 0.003), but not of the WHO free sugars guideline compared with other surveyed health professionals such as medical doctors or nurses. Conclusions: Knowledge gaps existed among surveyed Canadian health professionals on topics related to sugars consumption and the WHO sugars guideline. Future research should focus on tools to support better communication of sugars guideline and consistent use of sugars terminology.

Estimated intakes and sources of total and added sugars in the Canadian diet.

National food supply data and dietary surveys are essential to estimate nutrient intakes and monitor trends, yet there are few published studies estimating added sugars consumption. The purpose of this report was to estimate and trend added sugars intakes and their contribution to total energy intake among Canadians by, first, using Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) nutrition survey data of intakes of sugars in foods and beverages, and second, using Statistics Canada availability data and adjusting these for wastage to estimate intakes. Added sugars intakes were estimated from CCHS data by categorizing the sugars content of food groups as either added or naturally occurring. Added sugars accounted for approximately half of total sugars consumed. Annual availability data were obtained from Statistics Canada CANSIM database. Estimates for added sugars were obtained by summing the availability of "sugars and syrups" with availability of "soft drinks" (proxy for high fructose corn syrup) and adjusting for waste. Analysis of both survey and availability data suggests that added sugars average 11%-13% of total energy intake. Availability data indicate that added sugars intakes have been stable or modestly declining as a percent of total energy over the past three decades. Although these are best estimates based on available data, this analysis may encourage the development of better databases to help inform public policy recommendations.