Cancer Council Victoria CEO Todd Harper said these findings provided yet another reason for people to cut back their consumption of these drinks.
“Sugary drinks are already known to cause obesity, which greatly increases the risk of 13 types of cancer,” he said. “And cancer is just one of many chronic health conditions associated with sugary drink consumption – including increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay.
“We need more people to understand this and switch to water.”
Mike isn’t the only young sweet-toothed Aussie to drink soft drinks without realising the adverse effects. Shockingly, figures show around half of Australian children aged two to 18 drink sugary drinks every day.
“Younger Australians are consuming significantly more sugary drinks than older people, they are widely available and often discounted,” explained Jane Martin, executive manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition.
“Big brands bombard kids with marketing for these unhealthy sugary drinks, which can set kids up for a lifetime of health problems.”
“A 20 percent health levy on sugary drinks can help deter people from these cheap and very unhealthy drinks, and help recover some of the significant costs associated with obesity and the increasing burden this puts on our public healthcare system.”
This is one of the first studies to identify the association between sugary drinks and cancer risk.
It was only because of your support that Cancer Council Victoria was able to help conduct this ground-breaking research. Thank you.