In the study, published in the , about three-quarters of parents surveyed underestimated the total amount of sugar in foods commonly found in the diets of children: orange juice, pizza, yogurt, ketchup, granola bars and more. The biggest divergences occurred in foods thought to be “healthful”; for example, more than 90 percent of the 305 study participants underestimated the amount of sugar found in yogurt by an average of 60 percent.

More concerning was the fact that parents’ misjudgments tended to be related to their children’s body weight. Those children with the highest body mass index tended to have parents who made the greatest misjudgments of sugar content.

medical director of the , and  of the UofL , aren’t surprised. It is a situation they see virtually every day in their practices.

“This happens quite a bit,” said Felton, who is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “Parents simply don’t know how much sugar is in the food they feed to their children. They believe they are feeding healthy meals and can’t understand why their child is overweight.

“Generally speaking, you should limit your younger child’s intake of added sugar to 12-16 grams a day – that’s about 3-4 teaspoons. For pre-teens and teens, it should be no more than 8 teaspoons.”

Although the German study only examined medical health and sugar underestimation, Martinez says the problem is a contributing factor to dental problems as well.

“Sugar contributes to tooth decay,” Martinez said. “If left untreated tooth decay can be painful — and painful teeth will affect a child’s performance in school.”

Preventing cavities and decay is the first line of defense, he said. Martinez also urges parents to find a dental home for their child, and schedule a dental exam, cleaning and fluoride treatment. For children experiencing extreme decay, the UofL School of Dentistry offers Silver Diamine Flouride, a 58-percent solution that stops decay in its tracks.

Both Martinez and Felton echo a point made in the study: Food labeling needs improvement. The study authors recommend a “traffic-light system”: a red dot on the label for high sugar content and a green one for minimal sugar. 

“Food labels can be confusing because they list ingredients in terms of percentages of daily recommended values,” Felton said. “Parents may read that a container of yogurt has 25 grams of sugar, but they often do not know how that should fit into their child’s diet.

“Plus, parents are busy and don’t have time to thoroughly read labels, let alone keep track of how many grams of sugar their children consume in a given day. A simpler labeling system would help enormously.”

For now, the providers recommend that parents “assume that there is too much sugar in food and try to cut back where you can,” Felton said. “Instead of buying yogurt with fruit or other flavorings already in it, for example, buy plain yogurt and add your own fresh fruit to it. Don’t add sugar to the breakfast cereal you give to your children. Serve them water or milk instead of highly sweetened juices or sodas.”

“The worse thing parents can do is allow their children to drink juice or anything other than water in a sippy cup all day, which disrupts the ph balance of the mouth,” Martinez said. Better, he says, to drink juice or milk in one sitting rather than over the course of several hours.

Martinez and Felton also reminded parents of released a year ago by the AAP.  The recommendations urge parents, when possible, to feed their children whole fruit rather than juice, where fiber and other nutrition can be gained. And, the Academy has reduced the quantity of fruit juice for children according to age:

• No juice for children younger than 12 months.
• 1-3 years – Limit fruit juice to a maximum of 4 ounces per day (1/2 cup)
• 4-6 years – No more than 4-6 ounces (1/2 cup –  ¾ cup)
• 7-18 years – Limit juice to 8 ounces per day (1 cup)

Following these guidelines will at least limit sugar intake and help lead to healthier smiles and bodies, Martinez said.

To be selected, nominated honorees must answer several questions related to roles within their organization, accomplishments within the past year, advice for life and goals they have yet to achieve.

The UofL winners were among 184 total recipients of distinction recognized Feb. 28, at a reception at the Ice House, and their names appear in Business First’s special Partners in Health Care issue, published March 2.

The list of 2012 People to Watch from UofL’s Health Sciences Center includes:

• David Dunn, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice president for health affairs
• Darryl Kaelin, M.D., Owsley B. Frazier Endowed Chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; associate professor and chief, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Department of Neurological Surgery; and medical director, Frazier Rehabilitation Institute at Jewish Hospital
• Henry Kaplan, M.D., Evans professor of ophthalmology; chair, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences; director, Kentucky Lions Eye Center
• Kristine Krueger, M.D., chief of academic and clinical affairs, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Department of Medicine; chief of staff, University of Louisville Hospital
• LaQuandra Nesbitt, M.D., assistant professor, School of Public Health and Information Sciences; health director, Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness
• Mark Pfeifer, M.D., V.V. Cooke chair of medicine; senior vice president and chief medical officer, University of Louisville Hospital;
• Gregory Postel, M.D., chair and professor, Department of Radiology; chief of radiology, University of Louisville Hospital; chairman of the board, University of Louisville Physicians
• Shiao Woo, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Radiation Oncology

The list of 2012 Partners in Health Care from UofL’s Health Sciences Center includes:

• Roberto Bolli, M.D., vice chairman for research, Department of Medicine; chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine; director, Institute of Molecular Cardiology
• Richard Goldstein, M.D., vice dean for clinical affairs, School of Medicine
• Laman Gray, M.D., professor of surgery and Jewish Hospital distinguished chair in cardiothoracic surgery; medical director, Cardiovascular Innovation Institute
• Marcia Hern, Ed.D., R.N., dean, University of Louisville School of Nursing
• Kelly McMasters, M.D., Ph.D., Sam and Lolita Weakley professor and chairman, Department of Surgery; co-vice chairman of the Board-Adults, University of Louisville Physicians
• Donald Miller, M.D., Ph.D., director, James Graham Brown Cancer Center; chief, Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Department of Medicine; professor of medicine and pharmacology
• Gerard Rabalais, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Pediatrics; president and chairman of the board, University Physician Associates; co-vice chairman of the board-pediatrics/adolescents, University of Louisville Physicians
• James R. Ramsey, Ph.D., president, University of Louisville; chairman of the board, University Medical Center
• Jesse Roman, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Medicine; secretary, University of Louisville Physicians
• John Sauk, D.D.S., dean, University of Louisville School of Dentistry
• Allan Tasman, M.D., professor and chair, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; treasurer, University of Louisville Physicians
• Stuart Williams, Ph.D., scientific director, Cardiovascular Innovation Institute