A giant sugar heart coined the ‘Less sweet, more heart’ appeared in Sydney’s iconic Botanical Gardens yesterday to kick-start global heart health month.
Coinciding with new research that revealed two thirds of Australians (64%) want to reduce their sugar intake, the number one global nutrition and food tracking app, MyFitnessPal, hosted iterations of the heart in Sydney, London, Toronto and Miami.
Aimed at reminding Aussies about the importance of reducing their sugar intake for the sake of their heart health, Sydney’s heart represented the 10,950 cubes of sugar Aussies consume each year.
Overwhelmingly, people across the globe are unaware of the sugar quantities in their food. On average, Australia estimated the nation consumes 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, compared with a total of 30 teaspoons actually consumed (both natural and added).
When it comes to being smart on added sugar, Canada was the closest to correctly guessing how much sugar their nation actually consumes on a daily basis, guessing around 14 teaspoons per day compared to 11.5 teaspoons. America took second place, guessing 12 teaspoons per day compared with 18.5 consumed and the UK took last spot, guessing around 8 teaspoons per day compared with 13.75 consumed.
“MyFitnessPal’s data shows us that most Australians would like to decrease their sugar consumption, yet they are unaware of how much they eat, which is leading to confusion and preventing them from making real changes to their diet.” said MyFitnessPal ambassador, author, nutritionist and fitness coach Luke Hines.
“The less sweet, more heart installation is an important reminder for Australians, and people across the world that making small swaps in our diet can add up to a big impact on our health.” continued Luke.
To track your sugar intake for free, download the #1 global nutrition and food tracking app MyFitnessPal on Apple, Google and other android platforms.
Research citation
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MyFitnessPal commissioned global research of more than 4,000 people worldwide, including a nationally representative panel of over 1,000 Australians, between November 1, 2022 – November 10, 2022].
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SA Health, Eat Less Sugar https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/healthy+living/healthy+eating/healthy+eating+tips/eat+less+sugar
About MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is the number 1 global nutrition and food tracking app. Since 2005, MyFitnessPal has empowered over 200 million users in over 120 countries to achieve their health and wellbeing goals through logging food intake, recording exercise activity and tracking their wellness habits.
MyFitnessPal is on a mission to support Australians to manage their health goals on their own terms. Through personalised data-led insights, nutritional guidance and unwavering support, MyFitnessPal provides users with tools for positive, healthy change.
The MyFitnessPal app is available on the App Store and Google Play store. To learn more, visit myfitnesspal.com or follow MyFitnessPal on Tik Tok, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Text by: MyFitnessPal
