Not so sweet: WHO revises sugar guide

Just try sugar-coating this: The World Health Organization says your daily sugar intake should be just 5 percent of your total calories - half of what the agency previously recommended, according to new draft guidelines published last week.

After a review of about 9,000 studies, WHO's expert panel says lowering sugar intake to that level will combat obesity and cavities. That includes sugars added to foods and those present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices, but not those occurring naturally in fruits.

Americans and others in the West eat a lot more sugar than that: Their average sugar intake would have to drop by two-thirds to meet WHO's proposed limit.

"The less sugar you're eating, the better," said Robert Lustig, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California and author of a book about the dangers of sugar. "If the sugar threshold is lowered, I think breakfast cereal is going to have a really hard time justifying its existence," he said, referring to sweetened cereals often targeted to children.

Lustig called the amount of sugar in processed foods an "absolute, unmitigated disaster" and said new guidelines could force food firms to use less. - Associated Press