2LT National News

CANBERRA, May 30 (Xinhua) — A new national survey on Wednesday revealed strong public support in Australia for government measures to reduce the consumption of sugary and sweetened beverages, as the country grapples with rising obesity rates.

The survey of over 2,800 adults found 83 percent of Australians support clearer labelling on sugary drinks to warn about added sugars, 73 percent back a ban on marketing sugary drinks to children, and 56 percent favor a health levy or tax on sugary beverages, according to the Canberra-based Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA).

The findings also indicate support for better labelling and marketing restrictions on artificially sweetened drinks such as “diet” and “zero” sodas, as well as on 100 percent fruit juices, which often contain high levels of natural sugar and are frequently misperceived as healthy, said a PHAA press release.

“Sugary drinks are a significant driver of obesity, which has recently overtaken tobacco as Australia’s biggest cause of preventable disease burden,” said PHAA President Caroline Miller, also the lead author of the study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Miller, also a professor at the University of Adelaide, called on the federal government to put the health of Australians above the profits of commercial beverage companies and set a global example in tackling obesity through beverage regulation.

Currently, two-thirds of Australian adults and one in four children are overweight or obese. Health experts argue that clear labelling, tighter marketing controls, and fiscal measures like a sugar tax are key tools in addressing the crisis.