Obesity study focusing on soft drinks is “simplistic”, Bev Council claims

The Australian Beverages Council (ABC) has criticised a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), claiming it takes too “simplistic” an approach to the complex issue of obesity by focusing only on sugar-sweetened beverages as the cause.

“The Australian non-alcoholic beverages industry has recognised for many years that it has a role to play in any solutions framework in addressing the serious public health issue of obesity. Our reformulations, package changes and voluntary guidelines are proof of this. But studies and opinion pieces that focus solely on sugar-sweetened beverages, or any other single source of kilojoules, add no value,” said the ABC’s CEO, Geoff Parker.

“No one food or beverage is the cause of obesity or being overweight. What does matter is the amount of kilojoules (energy) consumed against the amount of kilojoules burned. It’s this imbalance that causes weight gain. Sugar-sweetened beverages are not driving obesity.

“Australians have very different diets to Americans. The facts show that among all Australian children, only 1.6% of their energy intake comes from sugar-sweetened beverages,” Parker said.

“This compares to 7.8% in American children. Looking at this on a daily basis, the mean energy intake for Australian children from sugar-sweetened beverages is 129 kJ per day, compared to 677 kJ per day for American children. Also, one in three soft drinks sold in Australia are light or low calories, compared to only one in 10 in the US.

“The main takeaway point from the NEJM article is that all kilojoules count, and if any excess energy consumed from the total diet is not burned throughout the day in physical activity, then weight gain will occur. The paper also showed through several studies that diet beverages can be a useful weight management tool.

“The industry is committed to providing a variety of products for every lifestyle and occasion. All of our products can be part of an active, healthy lifestyle that includes a sensible, balanced diet and regular physical activity,” Parker concluded.

The Australian Beverages Council represents 95% of the non-alcoholic beverages industry.