report calls for an experimental 20% tax on all sugary soft drinks

Not too sure about labelling either. It isn't easy to be sure about your energy usage and how the various numbers on the packet will translate into your body. I think just being relatively smart about the types of food you eat and steering clear of processed foods would help a lot.

[Ken W]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

What I want to know is what are we supposed to drink?

Alcohol is frowned on.Coffee and tea are regarded as bad,too much fruit juice is bad for one's teeth.

Which leaves water.Yep very interesting..

Yes drink water, I find it more refreshing than tea or coffee or alcohol.

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Ken W

Yes drink water, I find it more refreshing than tea or coffee or alcohol.

Yeh, but I bet you can't get drunk on any of them though.

[idiosyncratic]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

If they want to do something to help our health full disclosure on labelling would be a good start some of them it's so difficult to work out whats what. This actually wouldn't affect me I only drink coke zero or diet lemonade but just so sick of the whole "tax and legislation can sort everything out" attitude that seems rampant.

I'd be interested in any ideas on how labelling could be improved.

The key parameter in the context of soft drinks (and this thread) is sugar obviously, however, other than showing the % sugar per 100ml & the amount per serving on the label, it is difficult to know what more can be done?

The difficulty seems to be the interpretation - according to this website

http://www.sugarstacks.com/beverages.htm

Coca Cola is 39g sugar per 355ml can - nearly 11%, while pure apple juice is 26g sugar per 240ml - again nearly 11% sugar. Orange juice is around 10% sugar. Is coca cola 'worse' than apple juice??

Tropicana have recently launched a juice drink range that dilutes pure fruit juice with water, then supplements the 'missing' sugar with stevia, which is classed as a natural sweetener - the orange juice variety ends up as just over 4% sugar - is this 'better' than pure fruit juice or will people just think they can drink twice as much?

In my opinion the principle of 'in moderation' should always be paramount - I don't think we need higher taxation on certain food groups to drive this, just awareness & education.

[SMG]

I must admit defeat when I read the contents labels, I find them so conflicting, I found diabetic biscuits to contain more sugar than its McVities original biscuit. Some of the figures they put, per this per that, per 100g, per serving, by volume, jeez, it would have Stephen Hawking thinking twice. We need a much simpler method of telling consumers just how healthy food is.

[Taf]

Originally Posted by SMG

We need a much simpler method of telling consumers just how healthy food is.

"Don't eat/drink too much of this if you are a lardass" might work.

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Gary L

Yeh, but I bet you can't get drunk on any of them though.

depends how much you drink.

---------- Post added at 11:32 ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 ----------

Originally Posted by Taf

"Don't eat/drink too much of this if you are a lardass" might work.

They should put posts in front of some of the aisles - "You must be this thin to buy this..."



That would work in clothes shops too

Originally Posted by Ken W

Yes drink water, I find it more refreshing than tea or coffee or alcohol.

I do drink water but I'm not a Spartan or a Stoic so I want to drink summat else occasionally.

[Caff]

Originally Posted by Ken W

Yes drink water, I find it more refreshing than tea or coffee or alcohol.

Oh yes. Bottled, (tap water here is very chloriny) and chilled, straight from the fridge. Very cold milk is good too - there's another contentious issue.

[Ken W]

Originally Posted by Caff

Oh yes. Bottled, (tap water here is very chloriny) and chilled, straight from the fridge. Very cold milk is good too - there's another contentious issue.

I have drinking water filter tap which removes the chloriny taste

Beware campaigners citing "the evidence" or "studies" in support of their nannying, leftist social policy fantasies. That's all I'm saying.

[mertle]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

I do drink water but I'm not a Spartan or a Stoic so I want to drink summat else occasionally.

All I drink is water and milk. Dont like tea or coffee and soft drinks full off sacharrin which makes me ill.

Even soft drinks diluted got it although only one found not is non suger free high juices. Which do use to give it taste.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Chris

Beware campaigners citing "the evidence" or "studies" in support of their nannying, leftist social policy fantasies. That's all I'm saying.

Funny that, I was going to call it a right-wing fascist authoritarian policy

(I guess that's why there's two dimensions in the political compass...)

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by mertle

All I drink is water and milk. Dont like tea or coffee and soft drinks full off sacharrin which makes me ill.

Even soft drinks diluted got it although only one found not is non suger free high juices. Which do use to give it taste.

I drink nothing but beer

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

I drink nothing but beer

Is that the non alcohol variety.