NOS News•
Dutch teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16 consume an average of 9.5 glasses of sugar-sweetened beverages per week. Half drink as many as 16.5 glasses weekly, equivalent to approximately ninety sugar cubes. Researchers from the Amsterdam Public Health Service and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have expressed concern over these findings and are advocating for a “smart sugar tax.”
“I was surprised by the results of our research,” says health scientist Rian Pepping. “The more sugar you consume, the greater your risk of developing overweight and type 2 diabetes.” Currently, one in seven children is overweight. This data highlights the growing public health concern surrounding sugar intake among young people.
Teenagers consuming ninety sugar cubes weekly are exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended sugar intake solely through these beverages. According to the strictest WHO guidelines, a 12-year-classic girl with a moderately active lifestyle should not consume more than 44 sugar cubes per week. For a 16-year-old boy with a very active lifestyle, the maximum is 79 cubes.
Primarily Purchased from Supermarkets
The study’s definition of “soda” includes not only traditional soft drinks, but also fruit juices, lemonades, iced tea, sports drinks, and energy drinks. “Essentially, all sugary drinks that offer little to no nutritional value,” explains Pepping.
The research also indicates that teenagers primarily purchase these drinks at supermarkets. The majority of respondents stated they would stop buying soda if a 330ml can cost more than 3 euros.
the presence of soda in the home also encourages teenagers to drink it. The study did not investigate what measures could be taken to reduce parents’ purchases of sugary drinks.
Sugar Tax Proposed
The Jetten cabinet intends to implement a sugar tax by 2030, but researchers are urging the coalition to tax sugar-sweetened beverages sooner. They propose a tax system where the amount of sugar in the drink determines the tax rate: more sugar equals a higher price.
Such a tax could function in two ways: incentivizing manufacturers to reduce sugar content and encouraging consumers to craft healthier choices.
