A label showing added sugars content on
all packaged foods and sugary drinks could have substantial health and
cost-saving benefits in the United States over the next 20 years,
according to a new study published in the American Heart Association's
journal Circulation. Using a validated model, researchers were
able to estimate a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease and
type 2 diabetes cases from 2018 to 2037, if such a mandated addition to
the Nutrition Label was implemented.
Poor diet, especially with overconsumption of sugar, is a known,
preventable cause of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) announced an added sugars-labeling requirement
on the Nutrition Facts label in 2016.
"The purpose of our study was to estimate the impact of the FDA's
added sugars label on reducing sugar intake and preventing diabetes and
cardiovascular disease," says Renata Micha, R.D., Ph.D., of the
Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in
Boston. "Our results indicate that timely implementation of the added
sugars label could reduce consumption of foods and beverages with added
sugars, which could then lead to an improvement in health and a
reduction in healthcare spending."
The study was conducted as part of a National Institutes of
Health-funded initiative, Food-PRICE, at Tufts University to identify
nutrition strategies that can have the greatest impact on improving diet
and health in the U.S.
The researchers predict that between 2018 and 2037, the added sugars
label would prevent more than 354,000 cardiovascular disease cases and
lead to almost 600,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes. The estimated
reduction in net healthcare costs would be more than $31 billion, after
policy costs have been factored in, and not including societal costs,
such as lost productivity.
"We and others have shown that food labeling can be an effective
strategy to support informed consumer choice and effectively change
consumer behavior," said Micha.
The study authors believe that the added sugars label would likely
encourage food and beverage-makers to reformulate their products. As a
result, they calculate the impact to be twice as great as having the
added sugars label alone, at more than 700,000 fewer cases of
cardiovascular disease and 1.2 million fewer diabetes cases, with net
healthcare cost savings of more than $57 billion.
In explaining the potential effect that a mandated added sugars
label would have on sugar content, Micha points to recent experience
with food manufacturers who reduced or removed trans fats from their
products following trans-fat labeling on products in the U.S. "That
suggests that mandated labeling of added sugars content would stimulate
the food industry to reduce sugar in their products," she said.
"Clear, easy-to-understand nutrition labels help guide everyone on
the path to healthy eating," says Linda Van Horn, PHD, RDN., American
Heart Association volunteer expert and Professor and Chief of Nutrition
in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Feinberg School of
Medicine, Northwestern University, in Chicago. "Consumers are better
empowered to make more informed food choices that will help reduce their
risk for heart disease and stroke and live longer, healthier lives."
Although there have been recent declines in sugar consumption,
mainly from sugary drinks, Americans still consume more than 300
calories per day from added sugar. The largest single source is sugary
drinks, followed by cookies, cakes and pastries, candies and ice cream.
"Our findings may be conservative and underestimate the full health
and economic impacts. The model only evaluated health benefits and
cost-savings from diabetes and cardiovascular disease outcomes," said
Micha, who added that impact on other health concerns could further
contribute to health benefits and reduced costs.
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