Health groups call for inquiry into taxing soft drinks

Lucie van den Berg
January 17, 2013
Herald Sun

THREE of the country’s leading health groups are demanding urgent action to stop sugary drinks fuelling the obesity epidemic.

The Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia want an inquiry into taxing soft drinks and restrictions on marketing and selling beverages.

The trio is pushing for Australians to drink predominantly water and reduced fat milk, a call they want state and federal governments to support.

The groups warn that a failure to act now will contribute to our growing public health crisis.

They said the drinks had little, if any, health benefit, and increased energy intake and contributed to weight gain and obesity.

One 600ml soft drink contains on average 16 teaspoons of sugar and a daily dose is estimated to lead to a 6.75kg weight gain each year.

Cancer Council Australia public health chair Craig Sinclair said there were now even more sugary drinks on the market and many were disguised as healthy, such as vitamin-infused beverages or iced tea.

“People are also consuming much larger amounts of soft drinks than they were five years ago,” Mr Sinclair said.