On average Kiwis consume about 54 kilograms of sugar per year.
That’s the equivalent to 37 teaspoons of sugar, per person, per day.
The first “No Sugary Drinks” logo was unveiled at a FIZZ symposium on October 11 in Wellington in a bid to send a clear message about the damage caused by too much sugar in our diets.
FIZZ is pushing for a sugary-drink free New Zealand by 2025 and says this logo is the next step.
The logo was designed by Auckland University marketing lecturer Dr Bodo Lang for health advocacy group FIZZ.
“The consequences of too much sugar in our diets are far-reaching and wide-ranging for both individuals and society, from harming our wellbeing and the learning of our children, to massive healthcare and productivity costs,” Lang says.
Lang says a growing number of schools have already banned sugary drinks which has increased learning and decreased disruptive behaviour in classrooms.
Earlier this year, Auckland Council announced it was phasing out sugar-sweetened drinks from vending machines at its 15 leisure centres.
FIZZ founder Dr Gerhard Sundborn, a research fellow at the University of Auckland, says in New Zealand sweet drinks contribute to 26 per cent of sugar in a child’s diet.
“Sugary drinks are the single biggest product which put added sugar in our diet,” he says.
“That’s why we’re targeting them – they’re a big ticket item. Then hopefully people will start thinking about the hidden sugar in other parts of our diet,” Sundborn says.
Lang says organisations, events and leaders have asked for a logo that would allow them to show a commitment to being free of sugary drinks.
“Just like the Smokefree/Auahi Kore logo allowed people to draw a line in the sand against smoking, this No Sugary Drinks logo will empower communities to lift their health and wellbeing,” Lang says.
FIZZ wants New Zealand to be free of sugary drinks by 2025 and wants a tax and nationwide school ban on the drinks.
Sundborn says a tax would give beverage companies an incentive to invest further in sugar-free alternatives.
However, Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says the Government won’t introduce a tax until there is more evidence of it being linked to a drop in obesity.