Nutrition
Do Health Warning Labels on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Help Parents
Make Better Choices When It Comes To What Children Drink?
by Dr Lewis First MD, MPH, Editor-in-Chief, Pediatrics
Recently a number of states have begun to promote bills that require health warning
labels on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). So do they work? Roberto et al. ( 10.1542/peds.2015-3185)
decided to try to answer this question by surveying almost 2400 parents nationally with an online randomized
survey. Parents were randomized to choose a beverage for their child, rate beverages, or opt for coupons if the
beverages had no warning label, a calorie label, or one of four versions of a warning label.
The good news is with the warning labels, parents were less apt to choose the SSB for their child even more so
than with no label or calories only on the label. Parents also opted for less purchase of an SSB when comparing
beverages and of not wanting coupons as long as there was a warning label-although no differences were seen
between the four different warning labels.
While this study is only a theoretical one done by a survey rather than looking at actual purchases made by
parents, there is promise in the results shown in this nice survey study (with a good response rate). You'll find
lots more interesting results to sweeten the deal if you read the study in detail.
Further Reading
●
Children's Food and Beverage Promotion on Television to Parents
●
Sodium and Sugar in Complementary Infant and Toddler Foods Sold in the United States
Copyright © 2016, The American Academy of Pediatrics