New Zealand’s first “no sugary drinks logo” has been unveiled.
The logo comprises a circle with the words “sugary drink” around the silhouette of a bottle and the word “No”.
It’s available for free for display in schools, businesses, workplaces, public spaces and event venues.
It was unveiled at the FIZZ symposium – “Toward a sugary drink-free Aotearoa”. FIZZ is a group of researchers and public health doctors pushing for a sugary-drink free Aotearoa New Zealand by 2025.
Marketing expert Bodo Lang devised the logo with the assistance of graphic designer Jenny Mason and the marketing and communications team at the University of Auckland Business School.
Dr Lang says it will empower communities around New Zealand to lift their health and wellbeing and send a clear message about the damage caused by too much sugar in our diets.
FIZZ argues the evidence implicating sugary drinks in serious health problems, such as obesity, type-2 diabetes, rotten teeth and gout, is compelling enough to justify ending the sales of these products.
“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, a senior lecturer in Marketing at the University of Auckland says.
“We’re heartened to see examples of strong community leadership on this issue – a growing number of schools have banned sugary drinks and principals are reporting a sharp rise in learning behaviours and decrease in disruptive behaviours in the classroom. Auckland Council is phasing out sugar-sweetened drinks from vending machines at 15 council-operated leisure centres.”
“Just like the smokefree/auahi kore logo allowed people to draw a line in the sand against smoking, this new ‘no sugary drinks’ logo will empower communities to lift their health and wellbeing. It’ll also send a clear message about the damage that excess sugar is causing.”
Lang says the symposium is marking progress made by individual schools and community groups, but is also addressing policy change, which it says must include a tax on sugary drinks and a nationwide ban in schools.
“Education and information are useful, but research has shown that policy and regulation is needed to change behaviours at the scale and pace called for,” he says.
Public polling shows growing support for a tax on sugary drinks – up from 44 per cent in February 2014 to 83 per cent in a NZ Herald Poll earlier this year.
FIZZ founder Dr Gerhard Sundborn, a research fellow at the University of Auckland, says in New Zealand, sugary drinks (including energy drinks, flavoured milk, cordial and soft drinks) contribute 26 per cent of sugar in a child’s diet and about 20 per cent in an adult’s diet.
New Zealanders, on average, consume about 54 kilograms of sugar per year. That is equivalent to 37 teaspoons of sugar per person per day – four times the recommended maximum by the American Heart Association, which advocates the 3-6-9 message: a maximum of three teaspoons of sugar per day for a child, six teaspoons for a women and nine teaspoons for a man.”
Meanwhile, NZ Food and Grocery Council Chief Executive Katherine Rich says the discussion around obesity needs to move from one of blaming individual foods and drinks to one centred on food literacy and moderation.
“The present conversation is not getting us anywhere because it’s particularly centred on attacking consumption of sugary beverages when the facts show there are many factors contributing to energy imbalance.
“We should be concentrating our time and effort on educating people that moderation is the key and that when it comes to beverages, water should be the first preference.
“I believe all the media coverage of the sugar issue has been positive because it’s made New Zealanders think about their consumption.
“The facts show that the message about over-consuming sugary food and drink is starting to get through. And it’s happening without any regulation or a rise in food or beverage taxes. At the same time, obesity rates continue to climb. Surely, if sugary drinks were the only problem, then the reverse would be happening and obesity rates would be declining in line with consumption.”