Saudi Arabia’s Public Health Authority (Weqaya) has warned that sugar consumption in the Kingdom has reached levels requiring greater attention, particularly through foods and beverages containing added sugars.
The authority stressed that addressing the issue does not mean completely eliminating sugar, but rather reducing quantities and making healthier daily dietary choices.
The message comes as part of the “Your Health, Your Choice” campaign, launched by Weqaya to raise nutrition awareness and empower people to make more balanced dietary decisions, with particular emphasis on identifying sources of added sugars and understanding food labels.
The campaign reflects a broader preventive-health approach that links everyday dietary habits with long-term health, particularly amid concerns over unhealthy dietary patterns and their association with risk factors such as overweight, obesity, dental caries and type 2 diabetes.
Added Sugar Is Not Always Obvious
Added sugar is not limited to sweets and beverages that taste distinctly sweet. It can also be present in a wide range of processed food products.
That is why Weqaya is emphasizing the importance of identifying sources of added sugars and reading nutrition labels, rather than relying solely on taste when assessing a product.
Reading food labels allows consumers to compare similar products and choose alternatives containing less sugar, turning a simple habit into a practical tool for healthier household decisions.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Health says the “Your Health, Your Choice” campaign focuses on balanced sugar consumption, identifying sources of added sugars and understanding food labels so consumers can compare products and make more informed choices.
Why Excessive Sugar Consumption Matters
High consumption of free sugars is associated with several health concerns, particularly when it contributes to excessive overall energy intake.
The World Health Organization says higher free-sugar consumption is associated with increased risks of unhealthy weight gain and dental caries, while reducing free sugars is an important component of a healthy diet.
The issue should not be viewed in isolation from the broader diet. Healthy nutrition depends on overall dietary balance, energy intake, food diversity and physical activity, alongside limiting sources of added and free sugars.
This makes gradual reduction a more sustainable approach than short-term restrictive diets.
What Does the WHO Recommend?
The World Health Organization recommends limiting free sugars to less than 10% of total daily energy intake, while reducing intake to below 5% may provide additional health benefits.
Free sugars include sugars added to foods and beverages during manufacturing or preparation, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates. The guidance does not apply in the same way to naturally occurring sugars within whole fruits and vegetables.
According to WHO, reducing free-sugar intake can help lower the risks associated with unhealthy weight gain and dental caries, particularly when it forms part of a balanced overall diet.
Turning Awareness Into Everyday Behavior
The “Your Health, Your Choice” campaign seeks to move beyond general health information by turning nutrition awareness into practical daily habits.
Its messages include identifying sources of added sugars, reducing foods and beverages high in sugar, reading nutrition labels and comparing products before making purchasing decisions.
A simple decision, such as choosing a lower-sugar product, reducing the frequency of sugary drinks or paying attention to serving sizes, can become part of a long-term strategy for improving dietary habits.
The campaign targets different segments of society, with a particular focus on families and children, using accessible and reliable educational content designed to translate nutrition concepts into practical and sustainable behaviors.
Families Are a Key Starting Point
The home environment plays a major role in shaping dietary habits, making family awareness of added sugars particularly important for children and adolescents.
The goal is not necessarily to eliminate sweets or sugary products completely, but to establish a more balanced relationship with them so that they remain limited components of the diet rather than frequent sources of added sugar.
Teaching children from an early age how to read food information and compare products can also provide them with practical skills for making healthier choices later in life.
Six Entities Working Together
The campaign reflects a coordinated national approach involving the Ministries of Health, Education, Environment, Water and Agriculture, and Media, together with the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Government Communication Center, under the leadership of Weqaya.
The collaboration aims to strengthen consistent nutrition messaging and provide reliable information to different segments of society while linking nutrition awareness to prevention and quality of life.
This integrated approach recognizes that dietary behavior is shaped not only by individual choices, but also by food availability, product labeling, schools, families, media and the wider social environment.
Reducing Sugar Does Not Mean Eliminating It
The campaign’s health message is not based on completely eliminating sugar, but on controlling consumption, understanding its sources and making more informed choices.
This approach can make dietary changes more sustainable because everyday eating habits are shaped by repeated decisions over time.
Rather than treating sugar as an ingredient that must always be avoided, the focus is on understanding quantities, sources and frequency within the context of the overall diet.
Nutrition Awareness as Prevention
Improving nutrition awareness is an important part of preventing diet-related health risks.
Weqaya emphasizes that empowering people to understand what they buy and consume can help them make more balanced dietary decisions, supporting the campaign’s broader message that every choice can make a difference.
Prevention does not necessarily depend on one major decision. It can come from a series of repeated daily choices: What do we buy? What do we drink? How much do we consume? And how often do we repeat the same choice?
Over time, these decisions can contribute to healthier dietary patterns, particularly when combined with physical activity, adequate sleep and dietary diversity.
Toward a More Nutrition-Aware Society
The “Your Health, Your Choice” campaign forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader efforts to strengthen preventive health by turning public awareness into practical actions that individuals and families can adopt in everyday life.
As global attention increasingly focuses on the relationship between diet and noncommunicable diseases, managing added-sugar consumption becomes part of a wider effort to improve food choices, reduce risk factors and promote public health.
Ultimately, the issue is not about depriving people of foods they enjoy. It is about becoming more aware of what we eat and drink, and more capable of comparing options and making healthier choices.
A healthier dietary pattern does not necessarily begin with a radical transformation. It can begin with a simple decision at the supermarket shelf: read the label, compare the options and choose what better supports long-term health.
