The dangers of young people being 'addicted' to sugary drinks

A series of consequences

On the morning of May 16, the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, in collaboration with the Global Public Health Organization, organized a seminar on "Learning about the harmful effects of sugary drinks on today's youth".

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the program, Mr. Cu Duc Quan - Deputy Chief of Office of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union said that this is an open forum for experts and young people to exchange, discuss and more clearly identify the harmful effects of sugary drinks.

“I believe that, with the support of experts, medical organizations and the whole society, and the efforts of each member and youth to change, we can completely create a healthy, proactive, confident and positive young generation,” said Mr. Quan.

Mr. Cu Duc Quan - Deputy Chief of Office of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union delivered the opening speech at the seminar.

In reality, teenagers can easily access and use sugary drinks anywhere, in any situation, and only a few families control the use of sugary drinks. The appeal of sugary drinks has hit the preferences and tastes of the majority of teenagers and quickly creates a lack of control when using, leading to major impacts on the health of the younger generation.

Sharing at the seminar, Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Thu Hien, Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Nutritional Metabolism, Institute of Nutrition said: “Drinking even just one can of soft drink a day can cause you to take in 30-40g of free sugar - exceeding the daily recommendation of WHO. Regarding the immediate harm, consuming soft drinks can stimulate appetite, reduce the threshold of satiety, increase consumption of other unhealthy foods, which means reducing the opportunity to consume other healthier foods and can lead to changes in the eating behavior of young people in a less positive direction.

In the long term, this increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders. More worryingly, combined with regular consumption of soft drinks, many young people are leading a sedentary, sedentary lifestyle, causing even more serious health impacts.”

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Thi Thu Hien - Head of the Department of Biochemistry and Nutritional Metabolism, Institute of Nutrition shared about the harmful effects of sugary drinks on the health of young people.

Dr. Hien added that according to WHO, adolescents should limit their sugar consumption as much as possible, and if they do consume it, they should not consume more than 25 grams of free sugar per day (equivalent to 6 teaspoons). This number includes free sugars (simple sugars, disaccharides) from our diet such as sugar available in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates, etc., foods and drinks containing added sugars during the manufacturing process, and sugar added in the preparation of daily dishes.

“Limiting sugar consumption helps control weight, prevent non-communicable diseases and support healthy physical and mental development,” Dr. Hien emphasized.

Healtheducation should be given to young people early.

Referring to the issue of early health education for young people, MSc. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Lam - Expert in Prevention of Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factors, World Health Organization Office in Vietnam shared: “Health education should start as early as possible - ideally from primary school age. This is the stage of forming long-term habits. When children are equipped with the right knowledge from a young age, they will easily form a healthy lifestyle, gradually reducing their dependence on sugary products”.

In addition, Dr. Lam also proposed to impose a tax on sugary drinks. According to Dr. Lam: “A tax on sugary drinks is a preventive medical measure to protect health. Now is a very appropriate and necessary time to impose a tax on sugary drinks: Evidence of health impacts is very clear, causing many dangerous diseases; Consumption of sugary drinks has increased too rapidly in Vietnam over the past 15 years, at the same time, overweight and obesity in adolescents have increased rapidly; In the world, most countries have imposed a tax on sugary drinks.”

MSc. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Lam - Expert in Prevention of Non-communicable Disease Risk Factors, World Health Organization Office in Vietnam spoke at the seminar.

MSc. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Lam also emphasized that the tax rate of 10% of the manufacturer's selling price, applied for 1 year, is very small and has little impact. "Vietnam should consider applying an annual tax increase roadmap from 2026-2029 to bring the tax on sugary drinks to 40% of the manufacturer's selling price (ie 20% of the retail price as recommended by WHO) by 2030 to protect the health of future generations. At the same time, a favorable environment should be created to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks (front labeling, advertising bans, and communication about the harmful effects...), Dr. Lam suggested.

In addition to the experts' sharing, at the seminar, many young people also actively asked questions about the harmful effects of sugary drinks. One of the issues mentioned was the next activities in propagating the harmful effects of sugary drinks on children and adolescents in the coming time by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Responding to this issue, the Deputy Chief of the Central Office of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union said: “In the coming time, the Central Office of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union will continue to coordinate with medical organizations to promote propaganda and raise awareness among young people about the harmful effects of sugary drinks, contributing to creating a healthy, proactive, confident and positive young generation.”

Ngoc Nga

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/nguy-hai-khi-gioi-tre-nghien-do-uong-co-duong-post548632.html