Wednesday 17 February 2016

Sugar, sugar everywhere, in all my favourite drinks

So, indulgent hot drinks have got loads of sugar in. Wowzas. Hold the front page. Except, that’s exactly what the UK media is doing. Because it’s such a huge revelation.

I get it. Sugar is a big deal. Hidden sugar is a really big deal. And it’s a big deal because of the significant health risks of a high sugar diet – obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity rates in the UK are increasing year on year and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing year on year, albeit rather slowly. These are significant risks to public health, which given the additional health implications of obesity and diabetes, can amount to a significant drain on our already cash-strapped NHS. Anything we can do to help people avoid substances with which they will unwittingly put their health at risk is a good thing. It'll help people be healthier, and it'll help our NHS to cope. 

But, it’s not clear to me that “sugary coffee horror” is the biggest problem. There’s no need to ban it, or tightly regulate it, or insist that sugar is swapped for artificial sweeteners. Instead, require the information to be clearly available to consumers. Not on a leaflet hidden behind a cupboard door, but printed on the menu for everyone to see, every time they order. Then consumers can make up their own minds about whether to have an indulgent drink. These coffees are not everyday drinks – in any case, the cost of them prohibits that. They are occasional treat drinks. They’re “meeting a good friend to set the world to rights” drinks. And, occasionally, it’s ok to have an indulgent sugary drink. Hell, it’s probably beneficial to your mood to have an indulgent sugary drink. And that benefit shouldn’t be underestimated. As Clement Freud said, “If you give up drink and sex, you don't live longer. It just seems longer.”


The much bigger problem is the hidden sugar in everyday food and drink. A 30g serving of many breakfast cereals has 2.5 teaspoons of sugar in it. And, let’s face it, who eats only 30g of cereal? It’s barely worth the effort. And then you’ve got muesli or granola, that healthy breakfast cereal. Yes, much of the sugar in it comes from the dried fruit, but that’s still a fairly significant sugar injection to start off your day. Why is this more of a problem? Because something like breakfast cereal is an everyday staple. Kids and adults eat cereal everyday. Yes, we’re probably not going to eat a chocolate bar for breakfast – well except at Easter and Christmas – but coco pops? Maybe. Sugar puffs? Maybe. And that hidden sugar, which is probably 4-5 teaspoons, once you’ve accounted for the actual portion is contributing to our obesity risk, day in day out. It’s pushing up our risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. It’s this problem that needs tackling. That needs tackling now.