A new campaign called GULP – Give Up Loving Pop – has been created by the Health Equalities Group in England. GULP highlights the link between the drinks and tooth decay and also type 2 diabetes.
Some experts have labelled sugar as the “new tobacco” and they say that it is fueling the obesity that is taking over England and many other places. Recent research by the University of Liverpool has claimed that adding a tax to these drinks could save children from diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
Campaigners say that drinking only one can of a sugary drink each day increases the risk of dying from heart disease by 33%.
Soft drinks are apparently the leading source of sugar for children ages 4-10 and for teenagers.
As the Director of the GULP campaign said, “Few people fully realize the harm that sugary drinks can do to your health. As well as damaging your teeth, overconsumption of these drinks can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes and poor heart health.”
