Too much sugar is bad for your health. Added sugars found in sodas, processed foods and sweets add to caloric intake, and have been linked to obesity and diseases like diabetes.
To address diet-related health problems, the World Health Organization wants to lower the advised amount of daily sugar intake.
WHO is considering slashing previous recommendations in half, lowering one's daily calories in sugar from 10 to 5 percent.
For someone with a normal BMI (body mass index), the proposed guidelines would limit sugar intake—not counting produce—to 25 grams, or six teaspoons, per day. For reference, a can of regular soda contains about 40 grams of sugar.
The average American now consumes about three pounds of sugar a week, nearly five times as much as the newly recommended dose.
Fortunately, for those looking to limit their sugar consumption, the Food and Drug Administration has proposed new nutrition guidelines that will label added sugars in products more clearly, using teaspoons.
WHO is accepting public comments on the proposal until March 31.