A recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded study became one of the first to assess the influence warning labels have on the likelihood parents will buy sugar-sweetened beverages for their children.
Researchers tested the effects of five different warning labels — one with calorie content information and four with varying warning messages — on nearly 2,400 parents using an online survey. They also examined a control group that saw no warning labels.
The study revealed:
1. A majority (60 percent) of the parents who saw no warning or calorie content labels said they would choose a sugary drink for their kids.
2. Parents who viewed a health warning label on a beverage's packaging were 20 percent less likely than the control group to say they would choose a sugar-sweetened beverage for their kids.
3. There was not a significant difference in the effects produced by the four varying warning labels, but all four were more powerful than the calorie content version.
4. More than half (53 percent) of the parents who saw the calorie label would still purchase a sugar-sweetened beverage for their kids compared to just 40 percent of those who viewed the health warning labels.
5. All total, 75 percent of parents who participated in the study said they would support sugar-sweetened beverage warning labels.
According to RWJF Senior Vice President and Director John Lumpkin, MD, sugar-sweetened beverages are the top source of added sugar in Americans' diets.
"Parents want their children to have nutritious foods and beverages, but it's essential that we give them the information they need to make healthier choices about what they buy and feed their kids," said Dr. Lumpkin. "This study shows that health warning labels can be one part of the solution."
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