Fizzy and soft drinks are a particular problem, with four to ten-year-olds consuming nearly a third of sugars in their diets this way.
The independent body of expert nutritionists wants people to halve the daily intake of sugar.
Consuming sugary drinks are linked to tooth decay, the rise in childhood obesity and increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
In the first wide-ranging report on the impact of sugar on health since the 1990s, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), which advises Public Health England and other government agencies on nutrition, said that people should cut the amount of sugars they consume daily from 10 per cent to 5 per cent – equivalent to seven teaspoons.
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