Consumer group calls for warning labels on pop

Pop cans should carry warnings to alert people that drinking too much can make them fat, a U.S. consumer group said Wednesday.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest called for warnings like those on cigarettes, saying overindulging in non-diet soft drinks can lead to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

• INDEPTH: Obesity

The group, which has called soft drinks "liquid candy," filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to request the label changes.

Suggested warnings include:

• "To help protect your waistline and your teeth, consider switching to diet sodas or water."
• "Drinking too many (non-diet) soft drinks contributes to weight gain."

Teens who drink pop get nearly 15 per cent of their calories from the drink, the group said. It advocates consuming soft drinks as an "occasional treat."

Drinks with more than 10 milligrams of caffeine per 355-millilitre serving should also carry warnings that say it is "a mildly addictive stimulant drug" that is "not appropriate for children," the group said.

• FROM JAN. 6, 2004: Canadian schools to go pop-free by September

Part of the problem is that the more soda kids drink, the less nutritious food they eat, said Lucy Nolan, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut, a group that lobbies for schools to ban pop and junk food.

The American Beverage Association said children and adults can consume soft drinks in moderation as part of a healthy diet. The group said CSPI's call "patronizes consumers," adding current nutrition labels already tell people what they need to know.

Beverage manufacturers in the U.S. are offering low-calorie soft drinks, caffeine-free products, bottled water, juices and sport drinks in more sizes.

• FROM AUG. 24, 2004: Drinking pop tied to higher diabetes risk in women

Last year, a study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health concluded women who drank at least one sugar-sweetened pop per day were 85 per cent more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank less.