CBS News/ December 7, 2011, 8:09 AM

Study ranks "10 worst" kids' cereals for sugar

A new study shows many breakfast cereals pack so much sugar, they're more like desserts.

For the report, the Environmental Working Group checked the content of 84 popular offerings, and says, "Kellogg's Honey Smacks, at nearly 56 percent sugar by weight, leads the list of the 10 worst children's cereals."

One cup of Kellogg's Honey Smacks has more sugar than a Hostess Twinkie, and a cup of 44 other children's cereals has more sugar than three Chips Ahoy! Cookies, according to the EWG.

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Sugary cereals: Which are the 10 "worst?"

It adds that only a quarter of the cereals meets voluntary proposed guidelines of the federal Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children which, says the EWG, recommend no more than 26 percent added sugar by weight." And the EWG is pushing for even an even lower lid.

It quotes health expert Dr. Andrew Weil as saying, "The fact that a children's breakfast cereal is 56 percent sugar by weight - and many others are not far behind - should cause national outrage."

The EWG also quotes noted NYU nutrition professor Marion Nestle as saying, "Cereal companies have spent fortunes on convincing parents that a kid's breakfast means cereal, and that sugary cereals are fun, benign, and all kids will eat. The cereals on the EWG highest-sugar list are among the most profitable for their makers, who back up their investment with advertising budgets of $20 million a year or more. No public health agency has anywhere near the education budget equivalent to that spent on a single cereal. Kids should not be eating sugar for breakfast. They should be eating real food."

To see the ten cereals the EWG pegs as the most sugar-laden, go to Page 2.

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45 Comments Add a Comment

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qianqian520cat says:: So it's no wonder that most kids exceed the "maximum discretionary caloric allowance," which is already ridiculous (a quarter of our diet can be cotton candy, according to federal guidelines--see 1:40 at http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/nations-diet-in-crisis/).; reply

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Puristat_Wellness_Center says:

And don't forget the loads of artificial colors and preservatives! This can all lead to everything from food allergies to diarrhea in children.


Nate650 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Definitely, which is why it's a big advantage to shop at retailers with food quality standards such as Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. For example, Whole Foods considers the following ingredients unacceptable: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/unacceptable-ingredients.php. Unfortunately, better quality food usually costs more, hence the need for a food system overhaul.

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jt92202 says:

a few words come to my mind: DRUG, ADDICTION, DIABETES, DEATH!!! Simple Sugars are so bad for you, these sugars do lead to Diabetes for a lot of people in the world! I am not sure what they are talking about when they say Sugar in this story but if they are only counting the actual sugar that is added they also need to count the sugar that comes from the cereal itself!!! Cereal goes in and the liver pushes it out to the pancreas, if the body already has enough food and sugar and it can't handle more then the cereal turns to sugar then stored as fat! Our children's body can not continue to deal with the amount of Carbs and Sugar we give them, we don't do it on purpose but even the new FDA Food Plate is way more carbs then we need to eat! If you remove all the foods that are processed and only eat WHOLE foods that our bodies are made for you would decrease Diabetes and Obesity!!


lcoppe replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; DRUG ADDICTION DIABETES DEATH...oh my. So, if my daughter eats a bowl of froot loops in the morning, she is going to be obese. Hmmmm - funny, she does eat a bowl of those every morning, is 5 years old and not any fat on her - in fact she still wears a size 4 shorts. That would be because she exercises, does gymanstics, and eats a balanced meal of grains, fruits, and vegetables.


jt92202 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Talk to me when she is 40 years old, this is not something that happens over night, it's slowly killing us! My husband was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes last year at the age of 55, more and more people are being diagnosed at older ages then ever before! The pancreas cannot take care of the amount of sugars and carbs that we eat. Maybe YOUR daughter will never have this problem but there are many people that do!! Just because some people don't have problems doesn't mean we shouldn't make sure people are aware of the problems that occur from sugars and carbs!! And if you let your Daughter eat Sugar Coated cereal everyday you should really have your head examined!!!

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Jaylah54 says:: Of course, I don't suppose it helps when parents feed their kids these cereals, the kids then whine "I want sugar on it", and the parents cave to that demand, also. (Like my brother and his wife did.)

One of their kids got diabetes soon after he joined the military (and was medically discharged as a result), and two of them have caps on their teeth because their teeth turned black.

Of course, those two were also the two that refused to go to sleep at night without a bottle of Kool-Aid.; reply

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GollyRojer says:

Hey, wait a minute. What happened to Sugar Frosted Flakes? They were "grrrrrreat!" according to Tony the Tiger.


Skruffy1 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Didn't Tony the Tiger die of diabetes some years ago?

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GollyRojer says:

National outrage isn't necessary. What is necessary, is for parents to boycott sugary cereals and provide their children with healthy breakfasts. I always laugh when I see those ads for a cereal that end with a picture of a bowl of oatmeal, a couple of pieces of fruit, and some toast, and say "...a part of this nutritious breakfast". Yes, the breakfast is nutritious, but that doesn't mean your cereal is.


Nate650 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; dot92141, unfortunately these days pointing out a nutritious breakfast is not as simple as naming the foods since one ham can vary greatly from another. For example, Oscar Mayer contains sodium nitrite and comes from pigs raised in poor conditions and given cheap feed.

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notparicular says:

Mothers are responsible for pushing sugary and all ready-made cereal to kids.


MegaProcrastination replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; It's been my observation the mothers don't push, they simply refuse to tell their children "no." I've seen time and again while grocery shopping where the kid asks for this kind of thing and the mom might say no but then the kid persists until the mom gives in. That just tells the kid that they'll get exactly what they want eventually so all they have to do is keep asking or throw a fit and until the other person caves.

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prohb says:: Bring back Sugar Pops!.... the best junk cereal! It had more sugar than all of them! I cried when I couldn't get it anymore.; reply

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foo8259 says:

"Kids should not be eating sugar for breakfast. They should be eating real food." Exactly and "real food" is not processed, it doesn't come from a box, it does not have and "ingredient list" as long as your arm. Make no mistake, a bowl of ANY cereal is just a bowl of SUGAR. Starches and grains are quickly converted to glucose (sugar) by the body as soon as they are eaten. Like one poster said "educate yourself." I think the book "Wheat Belly" is a good start, "Good Calories Bad Calories" and "Why we get Fat" by Taubes or even "Fat Head" the movie.


Nate650 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; Eggs, oatmeal, oat bran, potato dices sauteed with onions, parsley, and topped with two sunnyside up eggs. Has it gotten that bad that people can't even name real foods anymore?!


Nate650 replies:: linkicon reporticon emailicon; foo8259, there *are* some healthy cereals such as Barbara's Bakery Brown Rice Crisps. You are right though that 95% of cereals on the market are processed junk.