PARENTS are being urged to cut the amount of sugar their children eat and drink after reports revealed one in five children in Hampshire is obese.

The county council is supporting Change4Life’s campaign to regulate children’s sugar intake to 10 per cent of the average daily calorie consumption.

One in five children in Hampshire is thought to be overweight or even obese before they start school.

This rises to almost one in three by the age of 10-11 forcing the county council’s hand to do more to educate children about the relevant health issues including diabetes.

Councillor Liz Fairhurst, executive member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said: “We wouldn’t let our children eat sugar straight from the sugar bowl. But we tend not to think about sugar in the other things they eat and drink.

“Making small changes, such as swapping from sugary cereals to plain porridge, plain wholewheat or plain shredded wholegrain, will help to reduce our daily consumption of sugar. To join in, all you need to do is sign up with Change4Life and pick one easy swap.”