Wyndham residents’ love of sugary soft drinks is increasing their risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and cancer, health professionals are warning.
A Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) report reveals Wyndham is one of the state’s biggest consumers of soft drink, with 19 per cent of residents consuming a fizzy drink each day against 12 per cent for the whole state.
The figures have been released as part of a new campaign encouraging people to improve their dental health.
Rethink Sugary Drink, launched by a coalition of health groups, including the Obesity Policy Coalition, is aimed at increasing awareness of the amount of sugar in soft drinks.
A 375-millilitre can has 10 teaspoons of sugar, while a 600ml bottle has 16 teaspoons.
Obesity Policy Coalition executive manager Jane Martin said soft drink consumption was high in Wyndham because there were more disadvantaged families.
“Sugary drinks are cheaper to buy than milk,” she said. “The cost of eating a healthy diet can be relatively expensive when you are spending a high proportion of income on food.
Soft drinks are easily available, heavily promoted and relatively cheap. In supermarkets, there are whole aisles of sugary drinks.”
Ms Martin said research had found males aged 16-24 were the highest consumers of soft drinks, followed by families with children.
DHSV chief executive Deborah Cole said there were serious dental and health risks with the daily consumption of sugary drinks.
She said they were associated with weight gain and obesity, which increased the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
“There are strong links between lifestyle behaviours such as drinking soft drink and increased risk of tooth decay and other dental issues,” Dr Cole said.
“Dental conditions are the most common cause of potentially preventable hospitalisation in young Victorians under 19, with the most common cause being tooth decay in children.”
For more details visit rethinksugarydrink.org.au
