Sugar 'should be controlled like tobacco'
The amount of sugar in the population's diet should be controlled in the same way as tobacco to protect public health, it has been claimed.Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, believe sugar is fuelling a global pandemic of obesity thanks to its pervasiveness in western diet plans.
Writing in the latest issue of Nature, they claim that sugar contributes to 35 million deaths each year from illnesses such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer - all of which are linked to obesity and an unhealthy diet.
As a result, the experts say more should be done to limit people's consumption of sugar.
Dr Laura Schmidt observed that many of the interventions that have been used to control tobacco and alcohol consumption - such as higher taxes and tighter licensing requirements on vending machines - could also be applied to sugar.
She insisted: "We're not talking prohibition. We're not advocating a major imposition of the government into people's lives.
"We're talking about gentle ways to make sugar consumption slightly less convenient, thereby moving people away from the concentrated dose."
Consumers can take steps to reduce their own sugar intake by eating fewer sweets, cakes, biscuits and fizzy drinks.
Healthier options include scones with low-fat spread, whole-grain breakfast cereals without added sugar or honey, and unsweetened fruit juice.
