UN: World eating too much sugar; cut to 5-10 percent of diet

FILE- This is a Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013 file photo of a volunteer pours beer during a tasting session at the Great British Beer Festival in London. The World Health Organization say we’re eating too much sugar and should slash our intake to just 5 to 10 percent of our overall calories. The guidelines were released Wednesday March 4, 2015, after a year of consultation. The recommendations are focused on added sugars in food and those in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The advice does not apply to naturally occurring sugar in fruits, vegetables and milk. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) FILE- This is a Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013 file photo of a volunteer pours beer during a tasting session at the Great British Beer Festival in London. The World Health Organization say we’re eating too much sugar and should slash our intake to just 5 to 10 percent of our overall calories. The guidelines were released Wednesday March 4, 2015, after a year of consultation. The recommendations are focused on added sugars in food and those in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The advice does not apply to naturally occurring sugar in fruits, vegetables and milk. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

By Associated Press March 4, 2015 3 min read

LONDON (AP) – Put down the donut. And while you’re at it, skip the breakfast cereal, fruit juice, beer and ketchup.

New guidelines from the World Health Organization says the world is eating too much sugar and people should slash their sugar intake to just 5 to 10 percent of their overall calories.

The guidelines, released Wednesday after a year of consultations, are focused on the added sugars in processed food and those in honey, syrups and fruit juices. The advice does not apply to naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables and milk.

“We have solid evidence that keeping intake of (added) sugars to less than 10 percent of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay,” Francesco Branca, director of WHO’s nutrition department, said in a statement.

To meet the lower threshold set by the new guidelines, Americans, Europeans and others in the West would have to slash their average sugar intake by about two-thirds.