Fine Gael Dun Laoghaire TD and member of the Oireachtas Health Committee, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, has today (Thursday) backed a call for prominent health warnings to be displayed on sugary drinks. The proposal has been made by one of the UK’s leading experts on public health, Professor Simon Capewell of the University of Liverpool.

“We need to take radical steps if we are serious about tackling our spiralling obesity problem. We now know that many people are drinking more calories than they are eating; high sugar drinks are significantly contributing to our obesity problem, and they do more damage to health than many people realise.

“Professor Capewell has suggested that the UK should follow California’s lead by placing health warnings on sugary drinks. I believe Ireland should do the same; we have been a world leader in introducing tobacco control measures to reduce smoking, now it’s time we lead the field in anti-obesity measures.

“A recent European study showed that adults who drank more than one can of sugary fizzy drinks a day had a 22% higher risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than those who drank less than a can a month.

“Professor Ivan Perry of University College Cork has previously pointed out that more than 1,000 deaths from heart disease or strokes could be prevented each year in Ireland if a few simple steps were taken. Cutting down on salt, sugars and fats in processed food would reduce the death rate considerably.

“We need to give consumers as much information as possible, so they can make responsible decisions about the food and drink they buy. Stark warnings on cigarette packets leave us in no doubt about the consequences of smoking. Why do we not take the same approach to other products which can cause diabetes, heart disease and stroke?

“Information needs to be very clear, graphic and hard hitting. I believe that a two litre bottle of fizzy soft drink, for example, should have a hard-hitting warning with words and pictures which take up at least 25% of the available labelling space. We cannot continue to tolerate the negative impact high sugar drinks are having on the nation’s health.”