DUNEDIN, New Zealand: The debate around sugar and its ill effects on society and how to address this have taken many forms, one of the main measures being sugar tax, which has already been implemented in countries such as Belgium, Fiji, France, Mexico, Spain and the UK. A new study from the University of Otago has found that New Zealand (NZ) citizens too could benefit from such a tax, as people who consume high-sugar drinks are also more likely to make general unhealthy dietary decisions.
According to lead author Dr Kirsten Robertson, a senior lecturer at the university’s Department of Marketing, NZ has a significant problem regarding the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). “While a number of other countries have successfully implemented national taxes on SSBs, New Zealand relies on industry self-regulation and has called for better labelling so individuals can take responsibility for their own sugar intake,” she said.
However, considering recent data showing that NZ is the third most overweight nation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development area and 17 per cent of adults’ total sugar intake comes from SSBs, self-regulation may not be working. In the study, the researchers surveyed more than 2,000 people, measuring their food and beverage intake over a 24-hour period and their self-reported intentions to eat healthily. Of those surveyed, 30.5 per cent had consumed SSBs in the past 24 hours. They also displayed a general pattern of unhealthy eating, as they also consumed desserts, confectionery, fast food and pre-prepared food, as well as were less likely to eat breakfast or a meal made from scratch.
“The findings raise significant concerns regarding the effectiveness of the current soft intervention measures. The fact that SSB consumers are less likely than non-SSB consumers to try to eat healthily, or to read food labels, raises serious questions about the likelihood of them changing their behaviour in response to better labelling,” commented Robertson.
Roberson believes that, since SSB consumers are less likely than non-SSB consumers to read food labels, a national tax will give some power back to individuals to be able to make healthier choices without having to refer to food labels. She noted that such measures have been shown to have little effect on industry sales and cited the example of the UK soft drink industry, which simply reformulated its products to reduce the sugar content.
“Findings in other countries suggest national taxes will encourage the industry to reformulate their products by reducing the sugar content and will encourage consumers to select other alternatives. Therefore, we support the sugar tax recommendation by the New Zealand Medical Association and the New Zealand beverage guidance panel,” said Robertson.
The study, titled “Supporting a sugar tax in New Zealand: Sugar sweetened beverage (‘fizzy drink’) consumption as a normal behaviour within the obesogenic environment”, was published in PeerJ on 19 October 2018.
Tags:
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: In 2018, South Africa introduced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) based on their respective levels of sugar content ...
SYDNEY, Australia: Researchers from the University of Sydney have revealed that one in seven adolescents are drinking more than two cups of sugar-sweetened ...
CAMBRIDGE, UK: Dental caries is the primary cause of elective hospital admissions among UK children aged 5–9 years, and the disease accounts for nearly ...
AUCKLAND, New Zealand: Socially disadvantaged adults in New Zealand cannot afford dental treatments, even if in great pain, resulting in dangerous ...
JERUSALEM, Israel: Electric toothbrushes, particularly those with oscillating-rotating (O-R) movements, have shown superior plaque removal efficacy compared...
WATERLOO, Ont., Canada: The debate around sugar and its impact on oral health and general health has led to some important developments. One of the most ...
BRISBANE , Australia: Despite a clear causal link between frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and dental disease, little is known about...
Somerville, Mass., U.S.: The process of learning how to move correctly when using a mirror in a patient’s mouth can often be difficult. Though drawing on ...
QUEBEC CITY, Canada: The occurrence of dental caries may depend in part on school-based environmental or policy-related factors, but few researchers have ...
ITABIRA, Brazil: Verbal bullying at school can negatively impact an adolescent’s mental health, causing distress and anxiety. A Brazilian study has shown ...
Live webinar
Tue. 6 August 2024
6:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Tue. 6 August 2024
8:00 pm EST (New York)
Dr. Cameron Shahbazian DMD MBA
Live webinar
Tue. 13 August 2024
7:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Wed. 14 August 2024
12:30 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Wed. 21 August 2024
9:00 am EST (New York)
Dr. Jim Lai DMD, MSc(Perio), EdD, FRCD(C)
Live webinar
Thu. 22 August 2024
4:00 pm EST (New York)
Live webinar
Wed. 28 August 2024
8:00 pm EST (New York)
To post a reply please login or register