Tackling commercial drivers of poor health

How much sugary drinks do you consume? Is it more or less than the average Australian? And do you know the harm that it’s doing – not just to your dental health, but to your overall health as well. In Australia, teenagers are consuming 60 grams (15 teaspoons) of added sugar per day, with 1 in 6 consuming more than 130 grams (33 teaspoons). That is well in excess of the upper limit of 24 grams (6 teaspoons) per day that the evidence says is necessary to minimise the risk of tooth decay. Around one third of that added sugar is coming from sugary drinks, which otherwise have little or no nutritional value. The beverage and sugar industry in Australia strongly oppose any regulations such as a sugary drinks tax, claiming on one hand that it won’t make a difference to health but also that it would be detrimental to their respective industries. In this episode of the Dental As Anything podcast we look at the evidence linking sugar to tooth decay and the effectiveness of sugary drinks taxes, and the role of the sugar and beverage industries in opposing measures that might harm their profits.

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