Poll: Should health warnings be added to sugary drinks?
Health warnings should be added to sugary drinks in an attempt to make them as socially unacceptable as cigarettes, a leading figure in public health has said.
Professor Simon Capewell, professor of public health at the University of Liverpool, called for the UK Government to follow the example of legislation under consideration in California proposing warnings to consumers about the contribution of fizzy drinks to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
In an personal view published on bmj.com, Prof Capewell said a third of children and two-thirds of adults are now overweight or obese in the UK.
Halving US and UK children's sugar-sweetened beverage consumption could mean a 50 to 100 kcal reduction in energy intake a day, perhaps arresting or even reversing the current increases in obesity, he said.
He highlighted a recent European study showing adults who drank more than one can of sugary fizzy drinks a day had a 22% higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who drank less than a can a month.
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