My family really pig out on sweets at Christmas - I'm worried about their teeth and weight - am I overeacting

asks Sander:

A. You're right to be worried. On average, adults more than double their calorie intake over Christmas - up to 7,000 or 8,000 calories a day!

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Q. Does this do any harm
A. As a short-lived binge for adults, not really. Although it does tend to make you feel really really guilty and it leads to all kinds of resolutions that you can't keep!

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Q. What about children
A. For children it usually starts on December 1st with chocolate-filled advent calendars and special Christmas sweets piled up high at supermarkets. It's more difficult for children to get back into healthier eating routines once the festive season is over. And of course, their teeth can suffer if they're not looked after properly.

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Q. How can I make sure they don't harm their teeth
A. It's not how many sweets they eat in a day but how often they are eaten. It's better to let children 'eat the whole packet' in one go than to encourage them to snack on sweets the whole day and expose teeth to sugar over a longer time period.

• Don't let sweets become a meal substitute - make sure children eat meals before they are given any sweets.
• Have other nibbles available, such as fruit (cut into chunks it's easier to pick up and eat), cubes of cheese, carrot sticks, etc.
• It's particularly important not to let them eat sweets just before going to bed.

• And remember - sweets can only be eaten if they're brought into your home in the first place. Think about treats carefully - don't stock up or be tempted by 'special offers'.

Q. What about drinks
A. Sweet fizzy drinks should only be given with food, and never as a late-night drink. Milk and water, or sugar-free squash, are better options for in-between meal drinks.

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The National Food Survey 2000 shows that we love our treats. Chocolate biscuit sales increased by 26% last year. Children eat the most ice-cream, cakes and puddings (more than double any other age group). And 15 to 24-year-olds eat the most chocolate and sweets.

Nationally we love...

• Wales - sweets, butter, cakes and sugar.
• Scotland - fizzy drinks.
• London - ice-cream, cakes and puddings.
• North East - beer and wine in pubs and bars.
• East Midlands - cream and milky puddings.
• West Midlands - frozen chips and instant mashed potato.��

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By Sheena Miller