Should the UK Introduce Warning Labels on Soft Drinks Too?

It has caused a huge stir that Berkeley, California passed America’s first soda tax recently, in order to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks. 

Now Brooklyn Assemblyman, Karim Camara has proposed a state law that would require health warnings, similar to those on cigarettes, to be displayed on cans of fizzy liquids. 

Most people are unaware of how many illnesses are associated with consuming too much sugar, and so raising awareness is being considered the duty of the beverage industry.

The proposed label would read:

"SAFETY WARNING: DRINKING BEVERAGES WITH ADDED SUGAR CONTRIBUTES TO OBESITY, DIABETES AND TOOTH DECAY."

Camara has described the bill as “a moral obligation”. He calls for education for consumers.

Chris Gindlesperger, spokesman for the American Beverage Association retaliated by saying,

"A warning label on soft drinks will do nothing to change behaviour or educate people about healthy lifestyles. Are you not going to label a glazed doughnut? This is more about politics than policy.”

The health warning is correct, obesity levels are rising continuously and diabetes is also becoming more common and a large reason why is due to many consuming far too much sugar.

It could therefore be useful to highlight these points to consumers to keep them informed and actively encourage them to make different, healthier choices.

Overall, this argument is a stark reminder of the damage that we could be doing to our bodies by consuming sugary sodas. Whether the bill is passed or not, it will exempt drinks that don't contain added sugar, like 100% fruit juices or diet drinks.

If a side effect of warnings caused consumers to turn to diet sodas there would be no reduction in obesity as diet sodas are filled with chemicals that can cause weight gain too.

One study that concluded this was carried out at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio where they found that subjects who drank diet drinks had waist size increases that were six times greater than those in the study who didn’t drink diet soda.

Dehydration causes many problems with the functioning of our bodies, and soda can not alleviate these. There are health issues associated with drinking any soft drink product, and no matter what governments and large corporations try to tell us, the truth is that we can only keep our bodies in optimum health by hydrating with good old fashioned water.

Keeping hydrated allows your body to function effectively, aiding with digestion, mental clarity, detoxification and keeping you energised.

Unfortunately, tap and bottled water are not always the best choices. Tap water is full of chemicals and other impurities. The government adds chemicals to kill parasites and mask odours, and even traces of pharmaceutical medicines can be found in our water supply.

Bottled water meanwhile is often found to be no different to tap water in terms of its purity, and has the added issue of being encased inside toxic plastic that leaches into the water inside.

Fortunately, we have the option to drink antioxidant rich water by alkalising and ionising it. There are jugs available to buy that provide a cost effective way to give you the best quality of water at home. We can even flavour our drinking water by infusing vitamin rich fruits and herbs. *insert link to water recipes post and products

Managing the amount of sugar we consume daily, keeping well hydrated at the same time and focusing on eating a colourful rainbow of vegetables and a little fruit, is the best way to achieve a healthy body with less chance of disease. Prevention is the only cure after all!

Why not consider a more Alkaline Diet?