A new warning this week about sugar and kids.
New guidelines from the American Heart Association put a cap on how much added sugar kids 18 and under should be eating each day.
Just six teaspoons.
"When we consume excessive amounts of added sugar, it can lead to some of the diseases we hear about frequently, like heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity," said Shelly Summar, a nutrition expert at Children's Mercy Hospital who works to prevent childhood obesity.
The new guidelines don't target natural sugar found in some foods, but added sugar found in things like candy bars, cookies and soda. Just one can of soda can have much as ten teaspoons of sugar - four more than the guidelines suggest for an entire day.
The Sugar Association released a statement this week, calling the new guidelines baffling and without scientific merit.
What are your thoughts on the new guidelines? Share your comments on our Facebook page.
------
Justin Wilfon can be reached at justin.wilfon@kshb.com.
