NZ worst for sugary drinks, study finds
Sugary drinks sold in New Zealand supermarkets may be the most unhealthy in the world, a new study has found.
But the Government has ruled out introducing a sugar tax to help reduce the problem, instead wanting to try other measures such as better labelling systems.
University of Waikato researcher Dr Lynne Chepulis, who conducted the study alongside overseas researchers, said non-alcoholic Kiwi beverages contained the largest proportions of sugar when compared to Canada, Australia and Britain. All four countries have high rates of obesity.
Chepulis said the results showed New Zealand needed to revisit sugarsweetened beverage taxation.
The New Zealand Dental Association (NZDA) also called for urgent action to address sugary drink harm in the wake of the study’s findings.
They urged the enforcement of a sugary drink levy, ensuring schools were water only, and introducing a sugar icon to the labels of drinks with added sugar.
‘‘This would clearly let consumers know how many teaspoons of sugar are in their drink,’’ NZDA spokesperson Dr Rob Beaglehole said.
While Minister of Health Dr David Clark said the Government had no immediate plans for a sugar tax, he said they were looking at other ways to reduce the amount of sugar in processed food and drink, and to develop a better labelling system.
‘‘As reported, the study’s findings are concerning. We know that there is too much sugar in our diets and we need to change that.’’
Obesity is a serious issue that needs tackling, Clark said.
‘‘I plan to meet with the food industry and will ask them to outline their plans to reduce sugar levels in our processed food and drink. I want the industry to step up rather than have the Government immediately step in and regulate.
‘‘However, if there is not sufficient progress we would need to look at other options.’’
In the study, nutritional content was compared in fruit juices, fruit-based drinks, fizzy drinks, waters and sports drinks.
‘‘We looked at the sugar load that somebody might be consuming,’’ Chepulis said. ‘‘The biggest results were that New Zealand basically has the worst numbers across all four countries. We have, basically, the highest proportions of sugars across all those drink categories.
‘‘When you put that into context with the number of obese people that New Zealand has, it’s not that surprising.’’
The latest OECD update found New Zealand to have the third highest rates of obesity in the world, topped only by the United States and Mexico.
The study found 52 per cent of drinks purchased in New Zealand contained added sugar, compared to 42.2 per cent for Australia, 42.8 per cent for Canada and 9 per cent for the UK.
Fizzy drinks and fruit juices are the most sugar-laden, Chepulis said, and New Zealand had two to six times more fruit juice product available than the other OECD countries.
‘‘In New Zealand we actually add sugar to our fruit juices. Fruit by default contains sugar, but we add sugar.’’
And some of the added sugar is sneaky.
‘‘A lot of water-based products which you expect to be healthy, are laden with a lot of sugar. Even if it says on the label that it contains, say 20 grams of sugar, that might be in [one] serve.
‘‘You drink an entire bottle and you might be consuming, three, four, even five servings. People aren’t weighing out their coke, they’re just calling it a glass,’’ Chepulis said
New Zealand, Australia and Canada have not adopted a sugar-sweetened beverage tax, despite it being suggested in all three. But it is being introduced to the UK, set to officially begin in April.
‘‘The UK had the lowest proportion of sugar in their drinks which kind of ties in with the fact that the whole taxation is working for them.
‘‘What they do in the UK is they pass that sugar tax on to manufacturers. So the manufacturers have been reformulating the beverages in the UK to avoid the sugar levy.’’
It makes more sense than taxing consumers, Chepulis said.
‘‘Otherwise you’re just passing that tax on to the people that can least afford it.
‘‘It’s much better just to have a product that is healthier to begin with. People are still going to drink it.’’
But for manufacturers it’s all about selling, Chepulis said.
‘‘Sugar acts in the brain a bit like cocaine. It’s one of the most addictive pathways. If you have people addicted to drinking coke or fizzy drinks and lemonades and fruit drinks, they buy more.’’
And while a clean eating culture shift in New Zealand has seen a slight rise in honey or agave sweetened drinks, it won’t help obesity rates.
‘‘At the end of the day sugar is sugar, regardless of where it is coming from.’’