BDJ Team Feature: Jamie's Sugar Rush TV Documentary Review
What do we think?
View the original feature online at: http://www.nature.com/articles/bdjteam2015122
BDJ Team 2, Article number: 15122 (2015)
doi:10.1038/bdjteam.2015.122
Published online 25 September 2015
BDJ Team 2, Article number: 15122 (2015)
doi:10.1038/bdjteam.2015.122
Published online 25 September 2015
Following Jamie Oliver's TV Sugar Rush TV documentary, I was asked by BDJ team magazine editor David Westgarth to provide my opinion on what I saw...
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Obesity levels in the United Kingdom have reached epidemic proportions and, therefore, I believe this documentary is just what the doctor ordered. Sugar has come under a lot of scrutiny of late and for good reason. This year the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) released new recommendations for sugar following a review of the current evidence base. Free-sugar intakes are now recommended to be below 5% of total energy intakes [1]. This equates to less than 7 teaspoons (30g) of sugar per day for individuals above 11 years. ‘Free-sugars’ are classified as sugars added to food or naturally present in honey, syrup and unsweetened fruit juices, however this excludes lactose in milk and milk products and sugars in fruit and vegetables. The evidence that prompted this lower sugar intake requirement found that free-sugar consumption contributes to higher energy intakes, weight gain in children, tooth decay and type-2 diabetes (T2D)[1].
Jamie’s documentary emphasised the urgency for dietary change to support the new recommendations. We live in an obesogenic environment, surrounded by high sugar, fat and salt foods, making weight gain exceptionally easy. Self-regulation and responsibility within the food industry have not been effective at reducing obesity levels and this is exactly why governmental regulation is required. I passionately support the introduction of a sugar tax. The action proposed against sugar is not to eliminate it completely from the diet. Sugars are carbohydrates, an essential macronutrient, and a vital component of foods such as fruit, vegetables and dairy products, contributing to a balanced diet. The issue is that sugars are being consumed at levels well over what is physiologically required. One culprit that received attention in Thursday’s documentary was the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SBB). Intake of SBB’s, which has increased in parallel with the rising prevalence of obesity, is significantly associated with a higher incidence of T2D [2]. What was once considered an adult onset disease is now present in children and adolescents, contributing to the enormous economic strain on the NHS. This is not to say sugar or SBB are the sole contributors, for the aetiology of obesity and T2D is complex, however, there is certainly evidence for an association and opportunity for intervention. So will this tax make a difference? Surely 20p per litre is not enough to prevent purchase and consumption of sugar sweetened beverages? With promising results in Mexico, I have every reason to remain optimistic. Moreover, I personally feel as though the greatest benefit accrued from such a tax will be the money that is generated, and its potential impact. According to Mr. Oliver the tax could raise £1 billion yearly, which he would like to fund nutrition education in schools and obesity prevention strategies for the NHS. School based education programmes, aimed at reducing SSB consumption, have already proven effective.3 Funding aimed at supporting these programmes could ensure they are implemented in the near future. This is a small step towards tackling an enormous health issue, nevertheless, it has raised its public profile and begun to generate the need for governmental action. Great work Jamie! |
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References
1. Public Health England. SACN carbohydrates and health report. Available at: https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/sacncarbohydrates-and-health-report (Accessed September 2015).
2. Imamura F et al. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice and incidence of type 2 diabetes: systematic review, metaanalysis, and estimation of population attributable fraction. BMJ 2015; 351: 3576.
3. Avery A, Bostock L, McCullough F. A systematic review investigating interventions that can help reduce consumption of sugarsweetened beverages in children leading to changes in body fatness. J Hum Nutr Diet 2015; 28: 52-64.
1. Public Health England. SACN carbohydrates and health report. Available at: https://www. gov.uk/government/publications/sacncarbohydrates-and-health-report (Accessed September 2015).
2. Imamura F et al. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages, artificially sweetened beverages, and fruit juice and incidence of type 2 diabetes: systematic review, metaanalysis, and estimation of population attributable fraction. BMJ 2015; 351: 3576.
3. Avery A, Bostock L, McCullough F. A systematic review investigating interventions that can help reduce consumption of sugarsweetened beverages in children leading to changes in body fatness. J Hum Nutr Diet 2015; 28: 52-64.