According a a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, after looking at consumption data from 2005-2008, there is evidence that sugar makes up 16% of the daily diet among youth. (The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend a limit of 5-15% of daily calories include sugars and solid fats.) There has been many recent discussions about limiting consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, and this study affirms that 40% of calories from added sugars come from beverages.

According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines “reducing the consumption of these sources of added sugars will lower the caloric content of the diet, without compromising its nutrient adequacy (3).” This strategy could play an important role in reducing the high prevalence of obesity in the United States (6) without compromising adequate nutrition.

You can view the CDC Data brief here.