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A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, at least according to Mary Poppins, but it’s a big no-no according to the American Heart Association.

According to recent research, Americans are swallowing an average of 22 teaspoons of sugar on a daily basis. Most of it comes from soft drinks followed by sweets such as candy, cakes, cookies, donuts and pie. With that said, it’s no wonder that so many individuals are overweight in our society today.

Most women should intake no more than six teaspoons a day, about 100 calories, of added sugar. Added sugar means sweeteners and syrups that are added to foods during processing, preparation, or at the table. For most men, the recommended limit is nine teaspoons daily, or 150 calories, according to the AHA.

The guidelines don’t apply to sugars that are naturally found in fruits, vegetables and dairy products. So, how do you calculate your sugar intake? While the government doesn’t require labels on foods to differentiate added sugars from naturally occurring ones, in most cases your sugar intake is pretty obvious. To check for added sugar on ingredients, look for sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, evaporated cane juice, fructose and molasses.

While the AHA didn’t specifically recommend general limits for added sugar for children, it has provided statistics about their usual daily intake of added sugar by teaspoons. Compared to the 22 teaspoons of all people, youngsters ages 1 to 3 swallow about 12 teaspoons daily while the number soars to 21 teaspoons for the age group 4 to 8. For the age group 9 to 13, boys typically consume 29 teaspoons and girls 23 teaspoons. For Ages 14 to 18, the number increases to an average of 34 teaspoons daily for teenage boys and to 25 for teenage girls. For those 19 and older, males consume an average of 25 teaspoons and females 18 teaspoons.