Profession reacts to sugar strategy
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- Published: Monday, 22 August 2016 07:47
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Ministers in the previous team at the Department of Health had promised that oral health would be included in the Child Obesity strategy. However there was no mention of dentistry when it was released. The BDA, FDS, FGDP and BSPD have reacted vigourously to this omission. The strategy can be found at:
BDA: Ministers must take a lead
Mick Armstrong, Chair of the BDA said: "It will take more than half-measures to deal with the sugar crisis. A sugar levy is one thing, but watering down action on junk food advertising and 2-for-1 deals sends entirely the wrong signal to business, parents and health professionals. The Health Secretary cannot afford to take a relaxed attitude to sugar. Children in his constituency might enjoy the lowest rates of obesity and tooth decay in England, but we think all children deserve the best start in life. We require a real strategy from government, one that is willing to address the huge, costly and preventable health inequalities Britain now faces. This isn't rocket science, but we need Ministers to take a lead."
FGDP(UK) & FDS: obesity plan a missed opportunity to tackle the rise in child dental extractions
The Faculty of General Dental Practice (FGDP(UK)) and the Faculty of Dental Surgery have welcomed confirmation of the proposed tax on sugary drinks, but say they are disappointed that the government’s new Childhood Obesity Action Plan has otherwise ignored oral health and failed to deliver Public Health England’s other recommendations to reduce the nation’s sugar intake.
The Sugar Levy, announced earlier this year, will impose a tiered tax on sugary soft drinks other than fruit juices and milk - adding for instance 48 pence to the price of a two litre bottle of lemonade - which will raise £520m a year from 2018. However, this was only one of eight recommendations made by Public Health England in response to the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition’s guidance that sugar should be reduced to 5% of energy intake.
The government’s new Childhood Obesity Action Plan, despite taking years to materialise, runs to only 13 pages and has ignored recommendations to curb price promotions and tighten advertising restrictions for high sugar products, and watered down the call for mandatory reformulation into a voluntary programme.
FGDP(UK) Dean, Dr Mick Horton, responded:“Eating and drinking too much sugar can cause tooth decay, obesity, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even cancer, yet as a nation we consume a third more than we did 25 years ago and almost three times the recommended amount. A single can of cola contains more than a child’s reference intake of sugar for an entire day, so is it any surprise that two in ten children in England are obese by the time they leave primary school, or that tooth extraction is the primary reason why children are admitted to hospital? While we’re pleased to see the commitment to the Sugar Levy, in not restricting advertising and price promotions, nor investing in providing dietary and preventative oral health advice, the government has missed a golden opportunity to empower the public to make healthier choices and tackle the rise in avoidable dental extractions.”
Professor Nigel Hunt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, said: “We have continually drawn attention to the impact sugar has on children’s oral health. While we welcome the proposed sugar tax as a big step forward, although the revenue it raises could be used to fund more oral health programmes, the lack of ambition outlined in this Government document leaves a sour taste in the mouth of dentists who have fought hard for tougher measures. The average five year old child eats their own weight in sugar each year so it is crystal clear that much more needs to be done. We will continue to push new ministers hard on further action to protect the nation’s oral health.”
BSPD disappointed by missed opportunities in Childhood Obesity Strategy
The Childhood Obesity Strategy published today is a missed opportunity according to the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry, the specialist organisation of dentists who treat children aged 0-16.
Claire Stevens, BSPD Spokesperson and Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, said: ”Any Government policy which addresses sugar consumption has the potential to impact on oral health. We are very disappointed that this strategy does not go further to reduce sugar content in food. There is no hope that it will make a substantial difference to the number of children requiring general anaesthetics for multiple extractions.”
She continued: “With last year’s publication of "Sugar Reduction: The Evidence for Action" and the announcement of the sugar levy earlier this year, the scene had been set for a radical approach. But the strategy published today appears to be greatly watered down. This is a missed opportunity to improve children’s oral health.Earlier this year BSPD called for strong and decisive leadership to address inequalities in oral health once and for all. We are still waiting.”
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