sugary drinks position statement

7/27/2019 Sugary Drinks Position Statement

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Sugar-sweetened beverages consumption in Australia

The problem and what needs to be done

Recommendations

Cancer Council Australia, Diabetes Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australiarecommend that adults and children limit their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages

aand

instead drink water or reduced-fat milk. Australian governments should support this call andencourage consumers to limit their sugar-sweetened beverages consumption in line withAustralias dietary guidelines.

Comprehensive action should be taken by governments, schools, non-governmentorganisations and others to inform the public about the health impacts of sugar-sweetenedbeverages and to influence the public to limit their consumption. A comprehensive approach

should include:

1. A social marketing campaign, supported by Australian governments, to highlight the healthimpacts of sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and that encourages people to reducetheir consumption levels.

2. An investigation by the federal Department of Treasury and Finance into tax options toincrease the price of sugar-sweetened beverages or sugar-sweetened soft drinks

b, with the

aim of changing purchasing habits and achieving healthier diets.

3. Comprehensive restrictions by Australian governments to reduce childrens exposure tosugar-sweetened beverages marketing, including through schools and childrens sports,events and activities.

4. Comprehensive restrictions by state governments on the sale of sugar-sweetened

beverages in all schools (primary and secondary), places frequented by children, such asactivity centres and at childrens sports and events (with adequate resources to ensureeffective implementation, monitoring and evaluation).

5. An investigation by state and local governments into the steps that may be taken to reducethe availability of sugar-sweetened beverages in workplaces, government institutions,health care settings and other public places.

Background

Australias draft dietary guidelines recommend limiting the intake of food and beveragescontaining added sugars and in particular, limiting sugar-sweetened drinks.

1 However young

Australians remain very high consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages, and sugar-sweetened

soft drinks in particular: The 2007 Australian National Childrens Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey found that

47% of children (2 to 16 years of age) consumed sugar-sweetened beverages (includingenergy drinks) daily, with 25% consuming sugar-sweetened soft drinks daily.

2-4 The mean

daily intake among these children was approximately 1.2 cans (between 436mL and 448mLper day).

2-4Mean daily intake was found to be even higher for consumers of sports drinks

(approximately 620mL per day), most likely due to their large standard bottle size. Thehighest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages among children are male adolescentsaged 12 to 18 years.

2-6

Among adults, young males (19 to 24 years of age) are the highest consumers of all typesof sugar-sweetened beverages.

2, 5, 7The last National Nutrition Survey found that 58% of

this group of consumers drank an average of 2.1 cans per day (800mL).5, 7

a Sugar-sweetened beverages refer to all non-alcoholic water based beverages with added sugar, including sugar-sweetened soft drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks, sports drinks and cordial.bSugar-sweetened soft drinks refer to all non-alcoholic carbonated drinks, excluding non-sugar-sweetened varieties

and energy drinks.
http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/


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People from socially disadvantaged groups (across all age groups) are significantly higherconsumers of sugar-sweetened beverages than those from higher socio-economic groups.

5

While sugar-sweetened beverages can be helpful for people with type 1 diabetes in the case ofacute hypoglycaemia, they provide little (if any) other nutrition or health benefit. Rather, theconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with increased energy intake and inturn, weight gain and obesity.

1, 8-10

Among children (2 to 16 years of age) that consume sugar-sweetened soft drinks, these

drinks contribute 26% of their total sugar intake and 7% of their total energy intake.3

In the US, it has been estimated that consuming one can of soft drink per day could lead to

a 6.75kg weight gain in one year (if these calories are added to a typical US diet and notoffset by reduction in other energy sources).

11

There is evidence that people do not compensate for the energy they consume from sugar-sweetened soft drinks by reducing their energy intake from other foods. There is alsoevidence that sugar-sweetened soft drinks may stimulate appetite or suppress satiety,leading people to consume more energy from other sources.

1, 8, 12, 13

Obesity is a leading risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers(including endometrial, oesophageal, renal, gallbladder, bowel and postmenopausal breastcancers).

14, 15It has been estimated that the risk of type-2 diabetes is 26% greater among

the highest consumers of sugar sweetened beverages (most often 1 2 servings/day),compared to those with the lowest levels of intake (none or


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References

1 NHMRC. Australian Dietary Guidelines (Incorporating the Australian Guide to HealthyEating) - Draft for Public Consultation. 2011. Retrieved from:http://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/public_consultations/public-consultation-australiaon 12 July 2012.

2 Mortensen A.The role of beverages in the diet of Australian children. Analysis andsummary report commissioned by the Australian Beverages Council. Australia, 2010,pp. 1-15.

3 Rangan A, Kwan J, Flood V, Louie YCU, Gill T. Changes in 'extra' food intake amongAustralian children between 1995 and 2007. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice2011: e55-363.

4 Clifton PM, Chan L, Moss CL, Miller MD, Cobiac L. Beverage intake and obesity inAustralian children. Nutr Metab (Lond) 2011; 8: 87.

5 Hector D, Rangan A, Louie J, Flood V, Gill T. Soft drinks, weight status and health: areview. A NSW Centre for Public Health Nutrition (now know as Cluster of PublicHealth Nutrition, Prevention Research Collaboration, University of Sydney) project forNSW Health, 2009. Retrieved from:www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2009/pdf/soft_drinks_report.pdfon 12 July 2012.

6 Food Standards Australia and New Zealand. Consumption of intense sweeteners inAustralia and New Zealand Roy Morgan Research Report, Canberra. Prepared forFood Standards Australia New Zealand. 2003. Retrieved from:http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/publications/evaluationreportseries/intensesweetenerssurveymarch2004/on 12 July 2012.

7 McLennan W, Podger A. National Nutrition Survey - Foods Eaten, Australia 1995.Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1999. Retrieved from:http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/0/9A125034802F94CECA2568A9001393CEon 12 July 2012.

8 Vartanian LR, Schwartz MB, Brownell KD. Effects of soft drink consumption onnutrition and health: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Am J Public Health2007; 97(4): 667-675.

9 Malik VS, Schulze MB, Hu FB. Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weightgain: a systematic review.Am J Clin Nutr2006; 84(2): 274-288.

10 Woodward-Lopez G, Kao J, L. R. To what extent have sweetened beveragescontributed to the obesity epidemic? . Public Health Nutr2010; 23: 1-11.

11 Apovian CM. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. Journal ofthe American Medical Association 2004; 292(8): 978-979.

12 DiMeglio DP, Mattes RD. Liquid versus solid carbohydrate: effects on food intake andbody weight. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2000; 24(6): 794-800.

13 St-Onge MP, Rubiano F, DeNino WF, Jones A, Jr., Greenfield D, Ferguson PW,Akrabawi S, Heymsfield SB. Added thermogenic and satiety effects of a mixednutrient vs a sugar-only beverage. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 2004; 28(2): 248-253.

14 The World Cancer Research Fund and Amercian Institute for Cancer Research. FoodNutrition, Physical Activity and the Prevention of Cancer: a Global Perspective.Washington DC, AICR., 2007. Retrieved from:www.dietandcancerreport.org/on 30January 2011.

15 World Health Organisation. Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.WHO Techical Report Series 916. Geneva 2003.16 Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, Despres JP, Willett WC, Hu FB. Sugar-sweetened

beverages and risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis.Diabetes Care 2010; 33(11): 2477-2483.

17 Access Economics. The growing cost of obesity in 2008. Diabetes Australia:Canberra, 2008. Retrieved from:http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/en/Resources/Reports/National/The-growing-cost-of-obesity-in-2008-three-years-on/on 12 July 2012.

18 Denney-Wilson E, Crawford D, Dobbins T, Hardy L, Okely AD. Influences onconsumption of soft drinks and fast foods in adolescents.Asia Pac J Clin Nutr2009;18(3): 447-452.

19 Grimm GC, Harnack L, Story M. Factors associated with soft drink consumption in

school-aged children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2004; 104(8):1244-1249.20 Bere E, Glomnes ES, te Velde SJ, Klepp KI. Determinants of adolescents' soft drink

consumption. Public Health Nutrition 2008; 11(1): 49-56.
http://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/public_consultations/public-consultation-australiahttp://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/public_consultations/public-consultation-australiahttp://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2009/pdf/soft_drinks_report.pdfhttp://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2009/pdf/soft_drinks_report.pdfhttp://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/publications/evaluationreportseries/intensesweetenerssurveymarch2004/http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/publications/evaluationreportseries/intensesweetenerssurveymarch2004/http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/publications/evaluationreportseries/intensesweetenerssurveymarch2004/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/0/9A125034802F94CECA2568A9001393CEhttp://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/0/9A125034802F94CECA2568A9001393CEhttp://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/0/9A125034802F94CECA2568A9001393CEhttp://www.dietandcancerreport.org/http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/en/Resources/Reports/National/The-growing-cost-of-obesity-in-2008-three-years-on/http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/en/Resources/Reports/National/The-growing-cost-of-obesity-in-2008-three-years-on/http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/en/Resources/Reports/National/The-growing-cost-of-obesity-in-2008-three-years-on/http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/en/Resources/Reports/National/The-growing-cost-of-obesity-in-2008-three-years-on/http://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/en/Resources/Reports/National/The-growing-cost-of-obesity-in-2008-three-years-on/http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/0/9A125034802F94CECA2568A9001393CEhttp://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/0/9A125034802F94CECA2568A9001393CEhttp://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/publications/evaluationreportseries/intensesweetenerssurveymarch2004/http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/publications/evaluationreportseries/intensesweetenerssurveymarch2004/http://www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2009/pdf/soft_drinks_report.pdfhttp://consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/public_consultations/public-consultation-australia


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21 Hattersley L., Irwine M., King L., Allman-Fainelli M. Determinants and patterns of softdrink consumption in young adults: a qualitiative analysis. Public Health Nutrition2009; 12(10): 1816-1822.

22 Cairns G, Angus K, Hastings G. The extent, nature and effects of food promotion tochildren: A review of the evidence to December 2008. World Health Organisation,Geneva, 2009. Retrieved from:www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Evidence_Update_2009.pdfon 12 July 2012.

23 Andreyeva T, Long MW, Brownell KD. The impact of food prices on consumption: asystematic review of research on the price elasticity of demand for food.AmericanJournal of Public Health 2010; 100(2): 216-222.

24 Block JP, Chandra A, McManus KD, Willett WC. Point-of-purchase price andeducation intervention to reduce consumption of sugary soft drinks.American Journalof Public Health 2010; 100(8): 1427-1433.

25 Dharmasena S, Capps O. Intended and unintended consequences of a proposednational tax on sugar sweetened beverages to combat the US obesity problem.Health Economics 2011; doi: 10.1002/hec.1738.

26 de Silva-Sanigorski A, Breheny T, Jones L, Lacy K, Kremer P, Carpenter L, Bolton K,Prosser L, Gibbs L, Waters E, Swinburn B. Government food service policies andguidelines do not create healthy school canteens.Aust N Z J Public Health 2011;35(2): 117-121.

27 MacKay S. Food advertising and obesity in Australia: To what extent can self-regulation protect the interests of children? Monash University Law Review 2009;35(1): 118-146.

28 Brownell KD, Farley T, Willett WC, Popkin BM, Chaloupka FJ, Thompson JW, LudwigDS. The public health and economic benefits of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages.N Engl J Med 2009; 361(16): 1599-1605.

29 Sturm R, Powell LM, Chriqui JF, Chaloupka FJ. Soda taxes, soft drink consumption,and children's body mass index. Health Aff (Millwood) 2010; 29(5): 1052-1058.

30 Finkelstein E, French S, Variyam JN, Haines PS. Pros and cons of proposedinterventions to promote healthy eating.Am J Prev Med 2004; 27(3 Suppl): 163-171.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Evidence_Update_2009.pdfhttp://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Evidence_Update_2009.pdfhttp://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/Evidence_Update_2009.pdf

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