US research shows that informative posters can influence drink choices.
New research published in the US has shown that shop signs informing teenage shoppers about the calorie content of fizzy drinks can reduce the number they buy.
Could it work here too?
Information works
For six weeks, signs were put up in prominent positions in certain shops in Baltimore. Two signs showed the number of calories in the drinks, while two also explained how much exercise it would take to work off the calories.
The more effective sign stated that it took five miles to walk off the 250 calories contained in a carbonated, sugary drink.
The researchers asked young people between 12 and 18 leaving the shop whether they’d seen the signs and, if so, how it affected their decisions. Over a third (35%) said they saw the signs, over hald (59%) of those believed the signs, and 40% said they changed their choice of drink after seeing the signs.
Though only a small group did actually see the signs, and an even smaller group react to them, the proportion of fizzy drinks bought dropped from 98% to 89%, and this change continued for several weeks after the signs were removed.
Public Health England told the BBC that the study showed "simple health messages worked”.
I’d be interested to know if the message about exercise has as much of an effect on purchase rates as warning labels about the direct health effects though, like the ones on cigarette packets. After all, campaigners were calling for images to be displayed on high-fat foods just a few months ago, so it might be beneficial to compare the two methods.
A double-edged sword
While the findings are encouraging from the perspective that the labels might offer a way to effectively reduce people’s consumption of sugar, the study also demonstrates an aversion to exercise among teenagers.
If the prospect of a five-mile walk is enough to put someone off enjoying a can of fizzy drink, then chances are they wouldn’t want to indulge in that kind of physical activity, which is another pressing health concern.
However, the research does demonstrate a potentially simple, cost-effective strategy to reduce the sugar intake of the population. Whether the drinks industry would let it become a wider initiative is another matter entirely.
Do you think that these signs were effective enough? Should we employ this strategy in the UK? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.
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