Idowu Abdullahi
Popular Nigerian health advocate, Dr. Chinonso Egemba, has urged parents to drastically reduce the amount of sugar in children’s diets to curb the rising risk of Type 2 Diabetes among young people.
Egemba, widely known as Aproko Doctor, in a post on his X handle, warned that many parents unknowingly expose their children to excessive sugar through everyday meals and snacks.
The practice, he said, creates conditions that could predispose them to metabolic diseases later in life.
According to the doctor, while many adults are becoming more health-conscious, some parents continue to overload their children’s meals with sugar without realising the potential consequences.
“Adults are doing diets and running every morning, but we are packing 10 cubes of sugar into our children’s pap. We are inviting type 2 diabetes to a party that hasn’t even started, and we need to have a serious conversation about our children,” he said.
He further noted that cultural perceptions about body size often lead parents to overfeed children, wrongly equating plumpness with good health and prosperity.
“In Nigeria, we have turned a fat child into a sign of wealth, and a slim child into a sign of suffering. But we are making a terrible mistake. We are overfeeding our children out of love,” Egemba stated.
The health advocate explained that excessive sugar consumption among children commonly comes from everyday items such as sugary beverages, chocolates, and processed snacks packed in school lunchboxes.
“You will mix a small bowl of pap with 10 cubes of sugar. Or pack sugary drinks, chocolates, and junk inside their school lunchboxes every single day. We are turning their bodies into sugar houses,” he said.
He cautioned that the health effects of excessive sugar intake may not always be immediately visible, warning that internal organs could already be under strain even when a child appears outwardly healthy.
“Inside that child you are proudly calling healthy and chubby, the heart might be struggling, and the blood pressure rising. We are punishing a tiny body that is just starting to grow,” Egemba added.
The doctor advised parents to adopt healthier feeding practices for their children, including reducing sugar intake, practising portion control, and encouraging healthier snack options.
“Please, let us do better. Practice portion control. If your child is full, stop forcing them to eat. Reduce the sugar drastically, and give them fruits as snacks instead of biscuits and sweets every day,” he said.
Egemba also stressed the importance of physical activity in children’s daily routines, urging parents to encourage outdoor play and exercise rather than sedentary habits such as prolonged screen time.
“Your child needs exercise, too! It is not always ‘go inside and sleep’ or ‘sit down and watch cartoons’. Let them run. Let them play. Let us raise a healthier generation,” he advised.
A study, published in the journal Pediatrics, found that children under five can become addicted to sugar.
The study looked at the eating habits of over 400 preschoolers and found that those who consumed the most sugar-sweetened beverages were more likely to have symptoms of addiction, such as cravings, anxiety, and difficulty controlling their intake.
The research also found that these children were more likely to have dental caries and to be overweight or obese.
The researchers concluded that the high sugar content of these beverages, combined with their addictive potential, makes them a public health concern for young children.
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