Apples for Health- Study: Canadians way too sweet in morning

Study: Canadians way too sweet in morning

TORONTO, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Canadians have an unhealthy habit of consuming half their day's sugar intake at breakfast, a survey published Monday in Toronto said.

The Leger Marketing survey conducted in December for Splenda Sweetener among 1,522 adults across the country found on average, more than six teaspoons of sugar was consumed before lunch, the release said.

That's half of the World Health Organization's daily maximum recommendation of 12 teaspoons a day.

In the French-Canadian province of Quebec, the results showed the average person consumed "a whopping 11.8 teaspoons, nearly double the national average," the release said.

"Keep in mind that while a teaspoon of sugar may contain only 15 calories, having an extra four teaspoons of sugar a day can add up to more than six pounds in a year," said a registered dietician on behalf of the survey's sponsor.

Apart from sugar in coffee and tea, the report said many popular breakfasts are also high in sugar, such as toast and jam, bagels and various toppings and fruit-filled yogurts.

The survey had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points, the pollster said.