Doctors and dentists are calling for cigarette-style warnings on sweet packets to help warn children off sugar. The policy could see photos of rotten teeth and fat children, who would be able to see the front of sweet wrappers alongside messages such as “Sugar can contribute to obesity and the need for fillings”.
Warnings on cigarette packets have become a must since 2008, and in that time the proportion of adults who smoke has fallen from 21 per cent to 16 per cent. Health officials hope similar warnings on sugary foods will lead to equally great falls in obesity and tooth decay in children, according to The Sun.
A third of youngsters aged two to 15 are now overweight or obese, and around 34,000 children aged nine and under have had teeth removed in the last two years. Tooth decay is the number one reason why children are admitted to hospital and need general anaesthetic–though it can be prevented in an easy way–just by eating less sugar.
The policy has been discussed at the British Medical Association’s annual conference in Bournemouth. Its North West Regional Council calls for the warnings, saying it is shocked by the tooth decay rate.
It also wants Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to introduce “health warnings on the packaging of children’s foods where high sugar contents may contribute to tooth decay.”
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