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The free Sugar Smart app, launched today (Monday 4 January, 2016) by Public Health England, works by scanning barcodes to reveal the total sugar in food and drink in cubes or grams.
Health chiefs hope the app will help families combat tooth decay, obesity and type 2 diabetes and encourage them to choose healthier alternatives.
Latest figures show that young children are eating 3 times more than the sugar limit, with 4 to 10 year olds consuming the equivalent of more than 5,500 sugar cubes a year, or 22kg - the average weight of a 5 year old.
Supporting the new campaign, Councillor Sandra Samuels, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "We're encouraging parents to get Sugar Smart and take control of their children's sugar intake.
"Eating and drinking too much sugar causes a range of problems, not least tooth decay. Indeed, almost half of 8 year olds in England have tooth decay, which is the most common reason for children being admitted to hospital.
"Too much sugar also means extra calories, which in turn can lead to stored fat in the body, causing conditions like obesity, heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes. We're already seeing the impact this is having in Wolverhampton, with a quarter of our 5 year olds and over 40% of Year 6 pupils either overweight or obese.
"This free app is an excellent way of creating awareness and enabling families to see just how much sugar is in the food and drink they are buying - and take steps to reduce the amount they consume on a daily basis."
The maximum recommended daily intake of sugar is 19g or 4 to 5 teaspoons for children aged 4 to 6, 24g or 5 to 6 teaspoons for children between 7 and 10, and 30g, or 6 to 7 teaspoons for young people aged 11 and over and adults. As a guide, a chocolate bar contains six cubes of sugar, a small carton or pouch of juice drink contains over 5 cubes and there are 9 sugar cubes in a can of cola.
Dr Alison Tedstone, chief nutritionist for Public Health England, said: "Children are having too much sugar, 3 times the maximum recommended amount. Children aged 5 shouldn't have more than 19 grams of sugar per day. That's 5 cubes, but it's very easy to have more.
"That's why we want parents to be Sugar Smart. Our easy to use app will help parents see exactly where the sugar in their children's diet is coming from, so they can make informed choices about what to cut down on."
Please click Type=links;Linkid=3170;Title=NHS Change4Life;Target=_blank; to download the new free app and get hints and tips on cutting down on sugar.
Obesity is estimated to cost the NHS £5.1 billion per year - and over £80 million in Wolverhampton alone - with this figure projected to rise to £9.7 billion by 2050.
The Change4Life Sugar Smart campaign, being launched today, will see Sugar Smart packs given away to primary age children and their families via schools, councils and retailers.
- released: Monday 4 January, 2016