ROTTEN TEETH PICTURES COULD CUT OBESITY LEVELS IN THE UK

Rotten Teeth Pictures Help

Reported in the national press, and online, it appears there is real evidence that graphic images on sugary drinks bottles, similar to those found on cigarette packets, it is believed could help fight obesity, according to a new study recently conducted.

As described by the Sun, the survey of 1,000 people aged 18 to 35, found they were 36% less likely to buy a sugary drink if it carried a picture depicting decay – such as rotten or discoloured teeth.

Sugar TAX affecting manufacturers

The UK government has created a sugar tax on soft drinks has already been introduced in many UK stores, with chains like Tesco already changing their marketing and meal deal propositions. The drinks companies are also reformulating their products and reducing packaging and volume to meet the new restrictions.

The report also proposes that labelling could also play a significant role in tackling obesity, helping to identify drinks with high sugar content, in the same way, other foodstuffs are controlled.

In a Sun report; Professor Anna Peeters, a lead author from Deakin University in Australia, said: “The question now is what kind of impact these labels could have on the obesity epidemic.

“While no single measure will reverse the obesity crisis given that the largest source of added sugars in our diet comes from sugar-sweetened drinks, there is a compelling case for the introduction of front-of-pack labels on sugary drinks worldwide.”

Another report from the food and farming charity Sustain said that sugary drinks should be subject to a new tax that could add 20p per litre to their price, with the proceeds going towards child health, to help tackle the ever-growing health.

Credit the Sun

According to The British Soft Drinks Association

The BSDA (British Soft Drinks Association) confirms that changes and measures implemented by the industry are now taking effect. Those that participated in the study were split into groups and asked to choose from a selection of 15 drinks; these included sweetened and unsweetened varieties.

All the drinks were unidentifiable, labels removed, they had one of four visual images, an image of crooked teeth, a text warning, a teaspoon representation or a health rating.

Unsuprisingling the report found those drinks with an image/graphic warning were 36% less likely to buy sugary drinks and around 18% less likely where sugar content was available on the packaging.

Bim Sawhney, Principal Dentist at Riverside Dental, said

“In today’s modern society we care about our health more than ever, and our understanding of sugar-related health issues such as; diabetes, obesity, heart issues and of course tooth decay means that appearance is also a key driver in decision making. Parents are no longer giving their children sugar sandwiches as they did in the 50’s and 60’s and the cultural shift means more people are opting for cosmetic dentistry to correct these irreversible issues.”

“My team and I are happy to discuss your discoloured teeth and provide innovative corrective procedures to improve the appearance of your teeth and smile” – Please feel free to inquire and make an appointment.

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