Thursday, January 17, 2013

Time to rethink sugary drinks

In an effort to tackle obesity, a campaign was launched today to urge people to rethink their consumption of sugary drinks.Three leading health organisations – supported by the ADAVB – have joined forces to release recommendations on the sale and availability of sugar-sweetened beverages such as soft drinks.
Cancer Council, Diabetes Australia and the National Heart Foundation of Australia called for immediate action by governments, schools and non-government organisations- such as sports centres - to tackle one of the key contributors in obesity in Australia – sugary drinks.
ADAVB representative Dr Nathan Cochrane (pictured) told media at the launch the damage that sugary drinks can cause to the teeth of children as well as adults. The chair of the Branch’s Oral Health Education Committee, Dr Andrew Gikas, attended the launch.
The push includes a new TV community service announcement - Rethink Sugary Drinks - designed to highlight the amount of sugar in these types of drinks and encourage people to switch to water or reduced-fat milk.