Warnings about the dangers of sugar DOES work

November 15, 2016

Scientists said warnings about dangers of sugary drinks do have impact
Campaign designed to educate people resulted a drop in fizzy drink sales
Sales of sugar-sweetened drinks fell by almost 20 per cent in Maryland

Jenny Awford for MailOnline

Published:
09:53 EST, 13 November 2016

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Updated:
16:54 EST, 13 November 2016

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We are constantly bombarded with warnings about how sugary drinks can cause obesity, diabetes, an increased risk of heart disease and teeth problems.

And scientists have found that these public health notices can actually work – with research showing people will buy fewer fizzy drinks.

One three-year campaign designed to educate people about the potential dangers of calorie-laden drinks resulted in a 20 per cent drop in fizzy drink sales.

In 2012, the Horizon Foundation started encouraging people to reduce consumption of sugary fizzy pop, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks and flavoured water in Howard County, in Maryland, America.

Scientists have found that public health notices about sugary drinks can actually work – with research showing people will buy fewer fizzy drinks

Three years after the campaign began, sales of sugar-sweetened drinks fell by almost 20 per cent, and sales of unhealthy, fruit-flavoured drinks fell 15 per cent.

Researchers said this is the first study to use sales data to measure the effectiveness of a community led campaign to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks.

Marlene Schwartz, Director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut said: ‘This study shows that a public health campaign combining community-wide education, policy changes and culture-shifting efforts can significantly reduce sugary drink sales.

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‘Through complementary strategies from advocating for changes to child care nutrition standards to creating TV ads, ‘Howard County Unsweetened’ made a concerted effort to encourage families to switch their drinks.’

The campaign included policy measures such as teaching children about the unhealthy outcomes of fizzy drinks and offering more healthy alternatives in vending machines.

One three-year campaign designed to educate people about the potential dangers of calorie-laden drinks resulted in a 20 per cent drop in fizzy drink sales

Medics recommend that children and adult women consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugars a day, while one normal can of full-sugar fizzy pop contains eight teaspoons.

It came after the WHO recommended that countries should use tax policy to increase the price of sugary drinks.

In a statement on World Obesity Day, WHO said the prevalence of obesity worldwide more than doubled between 1980 and 2014, when nearly 40 percent of people globally were overweight.

WHO said that tax policies that lead to a 20 per cent increase in the retail prices of sugary drinks would result in a proportional reduction in consumption.