Health Warning Labels Proposed for Sugary Sports Drinks

by

Change
Share On Social!

In California, a new bill to warn consumers of the sugars in sports drinks is making its way before the senate health committee in late March or early April, according to The Californian.

“The State of California continues to see a rise in obesity and type 2 diabetes among its residents and it is occurring at younger and younger ages,” Senator Bill Monning said. “Strong and compelling scientific evidence clearly shows drinking sodas, sports drinks, and other sugary drinks heightens your risk for preventable chronic diseases.”

In a state like California, where Latinos outnumber whites, research shows that Latino youth consume far more sugar-sweetened beverages than their white peers, which can lead to higher health risks and disparities among Latino youth.

In fact, Latino kids ages 0-5 consumption of sugary drinks is higher than the overall average.

Senator Monning proposed the health warning label for sports drinks, noting that many sports drinks are still allowed in schools, where a policy has banned all sodas in school campuses across the state.

The labels proposed for the sports drinks with added sugars will be required on beverages with added sweeteners of 75 calories or more per 12 ounces and will note on the product that, “Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay.”

Dr. Robert Lustig, a professor of pediatrics at UC San Francisco Division of Endocrinology told reports that he supports the bill stating that many kids risks for adult diseases like fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes are because “sugar is the alcohol of the child.”

Ensuring Latino youth have access to healthier beverage options and knowledge about how much sugar is in each product ensures youth see the healthy choice easier.

To learn more about how sugary drinks impact Latino youth, click here.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

74

percent

of Latino kids have had a sugary drink by age 2 (vs. 45% of white kids)

Share your thoughts