People are consuming more and more sugar-based drinks. Why? What can be done to reduce sugary drink consumption?
It is true that the consumption of drinks with added sugar is increasing globally, even in less developed countries. In my opinion, aggressive marketing could be a reason for this issue, the government should take proactive measures to address this dilema.
It is evident that aggressive marketing significantly contributes to the escalating consumption of sugary drinks. With the advent of the internet and social media platforms, large corporations selling sugary products have expanded their advertising strategies beyond billboards to include online marketing, aiming to generate profits, especially among the young generation. For example, an individual who has searched for any type of drink online is likely to be bombarded with targeted ads for sweetened beverages. These advertisements might induce them to purchase these drinks, leading to an increase in their consumption.
There are two measures that could be effective in discouraging the consumption of sugary drinks. Firstly, governments should impose excise taxes on sweetened beverages. For instance, many states in the U.S. have implemented special consumption taxes on sugary drinks as a way to tackle obesity, a growing health concern in recent years. This approach has led to a noticeable decline in overall demand. Furthermore, it is imperative for the government to raise public awareness about the harmful effects of sugar-sweetened beverages on health. When people are informed about these negative impacts, they are more likely to choose healthier alternatives to maintain good health.
In summary, heavy marketing has led to the increasing consumption of sugary drinks, and stricter taxes on sweetened beverages could be an efficacious method to deal with this problem. By doing so, we can ensure that the consumption of sweetened drinks decreases