THE government has spent millions of pounds on its Change4Life SugarSmart Campaign, making parents aware of the need to reduce and preferably cut out sugar from our children's diets for their future health.

It is now public knowledge that consumption of sugar can lead to heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, Alzheimer's, obesity, tooth decay...to name a few.

Parents who are taking this on board face a battle.

You send your children to pre-school and school and they are fed foods containing sugar!

Teachers are using sweets as counting aids (then being eaten by the children) and even as rewards; cake, sweets and biscuits being given out and tasting sessions of food containing sugar as well as pudding after school dinners - this is giving children mixed messages, as well as making it impossible for parents to ensure a sugar free diet for their children.

It also means children whose parents are not taking responsibility to try and reduce sugar in their child's diets are in fact having even more sugar, they need even more help from schools and pre-schools to reduce and not contribute to their sugar intake.

We should all be working together to minimise the intake of sugar in our children's diets and providing a positive role model in order to educate them to ensure their future health.

COLETTE CHRISTOPHER

Horning Road, Poole