By Lu Zehao, Diploma of Health Science student 2021
Why are sugar sweetened beverages so attractive?
In 2011-12, Australians consumed an average of 60g of free sugar (equivalent to 14
teaspoons of white sugar) a day. Also, about half of all Australians aged 2 years and over
exceed the recommended range of WHO, which suggests people limit energy from free
sugars to less than 10% of dietary energy. Surprisingly, over half (52%) of free sugars in the
diet were consumed from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs). SSBs refer to hot or cold
drinks with added sugar, which include regular sodas, energy drinks, iced teas, juice drinks,
sweetened water, and so on. Now you may consider the reason why SSBs are so attractive
to people? Gary Wenk, director of neuroscience undergraduate programs at the Ohio State
University, gave us the reasons. “It’s all in the beverage’s design. Your favorite brand of soft drink is engineered with just the right amount of sweetener, caffeine, and carbonation to make you
continuously want to grab and gulp.” Wenk said. He also explained: “Under the
stimulation of sugar, the dopamine in your brain surges rapidly, giving you a sense of pleasure . And under this stimulus, your brain tells you that you will need to drink more beverages. “
What are the health and environmental benefits of reduced intake of sugar sweetened beverages?
It is significantly important to reduce the consumption of SSBs because this behavior is not only
beneficial to human health but also exerts a good effect on our environment. Evidently, decreasing SSBs reduces directly the level of sugar consumption, which lets people stay away from many diseases and some health problems, such as for overweight/obesity, hyperglycemia, cardiovascular disease, type2 diabetes, and many cancers. It is reported that in 2017-18, approximately 1.2 million Australians were hospitalized for diabetes. This bad phenomenon is likely driven by an unhealthy diet, particularly including the excess intake of SSBs. Thus, living a healthy, disease-free life
requires us to decrease the intake of SSBs.
With regards to planetary health, reducing the intake of SSBs also plays an important role. As
discussed before, in order to catch the eye of consumers, many beverage manufacturers use
stunning packaging to prompt people to purchase their products. However, these beverage bottles will be turned into plastic waste after they are finished. Noticeably, Australia generated 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste in 2019 and most of it came from discarded beverage bottles. These plastic wastes are not only difficult to recycle but also exert an adverse effect on our environment. Additionally, there is growing number of beverage factories are being built on account of the increased demand for SSBs. A lot of lands are occupied by factories, which not only greatly reduces the vegetation coverage, but also causes the destruction of wildlife habitat. In addition, huge amounts of greenhouse gas emissions released by these factories will lead to air pollution and
aggravate global warming. So, the health and environmental benefits of reducing the intake
of SSBs are evident and this should be a common goal just in order to the health of ourselves
and this planet.
What are some challenges/barriers to taking action?
If you have known the importance of decreasing the SSBs consumption, what will you decide to do? Say ‘goodbye’ to beverages from now on or you still can’t resist buying another bottle of your favorite drink when you pass by the supermarket. There are many barriers to decrease the SSBs
consumption among the general population due to multiple reasons. For instance, drinking
beverages have been a tradition in Australia, especially for many young people. As reported,
adolescent males (aged 14-18 years) are the main consumer group of SSBs. If their favorite
beverage brand comes out with a new product, they will be the first to buy it and brag about
its amazing taste to their best friends. In addition, some individuals may think that reducing
by two or three-bottle drinks from their dietaries do not make a difference for the environment or the health of their body. Consequently, these attitudes make it difficult to reduce the consumption of SSBs.
What can be done to address this problem?
As a common goal, decreasing the SSBs consumption not only needs us individuals to make
great efforts, but also requires some interventions launched by the government and some
institutions. In terms of the government level, implementing a local, state, or federal tax on
SSBs can reduce its production and demand effectively. A warning label on the bottle of
beverages also can reduce the willingness of consumers to purchase. Besides, the
government can encourage local communities to organize some relevant activities, which let
residents understand the importance of reducing the SSBs intake. In terms of the institutional level, Deakin Food Charter is a good example. This institutional food policy launched in 2017 aims to provide choice in our food offer that meets the diverse needs of the Deakin community and
including five pillars, which are healthy, informed, balanced, easy, and sustainable. Although
this policy does not contribute to reducing SSBs consumption directly, it plays an effective
role in minimizing the intake of SSBs in many ways in the long term. For example, it provides clean and free drinking water on the Deakin campus, which lets many students be more willing to drink free water rather than spending more money to buy SSBs in vending machines. Another example is that Deakin Food Charter provides students a variety of options to choose from. In addition to SSBs, students have other better alternatives, such as a glass of fruit or vegetable juice. These simple changes can help students gradually move away from SSBs and have healthy dietary habits.
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