A study published through the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that sugary drinks with health warning labels might prevent parents from buying them.
In the study, researchers asked 2,381 parents to complete online surveys where they chose from among 20 drink choices for their child and answered questions about how healthy they perceived each beverage to be.
The parents were divided into three groups. The first group was shown beverages with warning labels, while the second group was shown calorie labels on the bottles (displaying this information on bottles and cans in the United States is voluntary). In the third group, parents were shown drinks with no calorie information or warning labels.
The results of the study showed that parents were less likely to choose a sugary drink if there were health warning labels. 60% of parents chose the sugary drink when there were no warnings or labels, compared to 53% in the calorie information group and only 40% in the warning label group. Parents in the label group also labeled sugar drinks as unhealthy more frequently.
The study indicates that labels could help parents understand the risks of purchasing certain drinks. The wording of the warning labels in the study were based on the wording of labels in a proposed bill in California that reads, “Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.” A similar bill is being considered in New York.
The parents in the study had children between the ages of six and 11 years. At this age range, children usually have their beverages purchased by their parents, so educating parents about the dangers of sugary drinks is especially important.
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