The truth about childhood sugar consumption isn’t so sweet. While sugar’s immediate effect on children’s health is well-documented, that lollipop you had decades ago might have more long-term consequences than we previously thought. New research published in academic journal Science reveals that early sugar exposure can cast a long shadow into adulthood, potentially triggering chronic conditions like hypertension and type 2 diabetes.

The study leveraged postwar UK sugar rationing to test the long-term effects of sugar limits. During WWII, rationing imposed strict limits on sugar accessibility and sweet products. Researchers compared health outcomes between individuals born during this period of sugar restriction and those born after the mandate had been lifted (with the assumption that the post-limit children were consuming more sugar). The findings revealed that people who rationed sugar as children exhibited 35% lower risk of diabetes, and 20% lower risk of hypertension in adulthood compared to their post-rationing counterparts.

The immediate impacts of sugar consumption on children are equally concerning. In the US, sugar-laden foods have contributed to a childhood obesity epidemic, with one in five children now classified as obese. Research has linked high sugar intake to numerous health issues in children, including increased diabetes rates, elevated liver fat, higher blood cholesterol levels, and a 34% spike in insulin resistance.

What can be done? Children develop food preferences at a young age, which shape their dietary choices throughout life, explained scientist Tadeja Grancer. Early intervention in reducing added sugar intake can significantly impact long-term health outcomes: “Reducing added sugar early is powerful for addressing long-term health,” she noted. Parents can familiarize themselves with sugar’s many misleading aliases on ingredient labels — from maltose and dextrose to high fructose corn syrup, as well as seemingly innocent terms like natural fruit juice concentrate.

Don’t use treats as rewards. Nutritional biologist Kimber Stanhope from the University of California Davis warns against using sweet treats as emotional comfort or as rewards, since people can end up conflating the comfort that sweets bring them with sugar cravings, which can foster a kind of addiction to high-sugar foods. The goal isn’t complete sugar elimination, but establishing a healthy relationship with the food and creating boundaries around its consumption.

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