Sugar as dangerous as tobacco

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Sugar as dangerous as tobacco

Norway's former World Health Organization leader Gro Harlem

Brundtland has had no problem having her anti-sugar campaign taken

up at home. Frightening domestic eating habits have mobilized

nutrition experts, who have adopted strong language in their efforts

to get people to drop sweets.

Svein Olav Kolset (left) and Kaare Norum study the ingredients on a

bag of candy.

 

PHOTO: INGAR STORFJELL

 

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" Sugar is just as dangerous as tobacco, so duties on soft drinks and

candy should follow the development of tobacco duties, " said

University of Oslo Professor of nutrition Svein Olav Kolset.

 

Kolset said admonitions are not enough. Parents must be urged to

take responsibility for their children's health and officials must

understand the gravity of the situation.

 

" Anything sweet and good should be much more expensive. We see a

massive increase in diabetes-2 in younger age groups, certain forms

of cancer associated with increased sugar consumption are known, and

more and more children are again getting many cavities. All of this

is connected to sugar use, " Kolset said.

 

This year 4.5 million Norwegians will drink about 535 million liters

(141 million gallons) of sweet soft drinks and eat about 60 million

kilos (132 million lbs) of candy.

 

" The body needs sugar as a stimulant about as much as it needs

tobacco. You get enough useful sugar from many other food sources

that are consumed daily. Candy and soda are empty calories that

easily increase body volume but give no feeling of fullness, " Kolset

said.

 

Professor Kaare Norum agrees that the fight against tobacco is a

relevant comparison but doesn't have any faith in bans, preferring

information. But he does agree that soft drinks should have their

duty level doubled instead of enjoying the 50 percent reduction

allotted to foodstuffs.

 

Researcher Geir Wæhler Gustavsen at the Norwegian Agricultural

Economics Research Institute believes he has found an effective

method to reduce sugar intake, and that is to make it expensive.

 

" By doubling taxes and increasing the price by 27 percent heavy soft

drink consumers will reduce their consumption by 44 percent, "

Gustavsen said, citing his doctorate research findings.

 

The battle against sugar will have familiar combatants. Tobacco

giant Philip Morris owns Norwegian chocolate factory Freia and many

other international food companies through subsidiary Kraft Foods.

 

" We must challenge producers to find new products that do not

contain dangerous sugar, yet still taste good and that can be

fashionable, " Kolset said.

 

Aftenposten's Norwegian reporter

Frode Pedersen

Aftenposten English Web Desk

Jonathan Tisdall

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article861546.ece