Does fresh water need warning labels like cigarettes?

Soft drinks should be labeled with a warning about health harms so that they are not socially acceptable like cigarettes.

Professor Simon Capewell, a public health expert at the University of Liverpool, called for new rules to require manufacturers to warn users about the contribution of carbonated soft drinks to obesity. , diabetes and tooth decay.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, Professor Capewell said one-third of children and two-thirds of adults in the UK are currently overweight or obese.

Professor Capewell said the warning label would be 'a remarkable natural experiment that could bring about a new, effective strategy to complement existing strong interventions such as marketing prohibition and tax on water. sweet ' .

This appeal stems from a study by the University of Glasgow (UK) published earlier this year that people are underestimating the sugar content of drinks that are considered 'healthy' choices.

More than 2,000 people across the UK are suggested to estimate how many tablespoons of sugar in some different drinks.

While many people consider sugar in carbonated soft drinks, they underestimate the amount of sugar in smoothies and some fruit juices.

Opposing this view, Gavin Partington, general manager of the British Freshwater Association, said that trying to blame a product group on a complex issue like obesity is 'wrong'. He added that the freshwater has full nutrition labels, including calories, printed on the packaging.

Obesity is a much more complicated issue than Professor Capewell's simple approach and trying to blame a group of products is wrong, especially when they only account for 3% of the calories in the diet. normal.

'Soft drinks can be part of a balanced diet and all products have full nutrition labels, including calories, printed on packaging for users and parents to take. make smart choices about what they and their children will drink.

For years, manufacturers have been gradually reducing calories in drinks - more than 60% of drinking water currently does not contain added sugar.

In addition, leading manufacturers and distributors accounting for about 75% of the market share have signed an agreement to further reduce calories, backed by a significant increase in advertising and marketing costs. drinks with little or no calories' , he said.