Docs demand cigarette-style labels on sweets to help tubby tots cut down on sugar

Doctors and dentists want cigarette-style warnings on sweet packets to help wean children off sugar.

It could mean photos of rotten teeth and fat children alongside a message such as: “Sugar can contribute to obesity and the need for fillings.”

Warnings on cigarette packets have been compulsory since 2008 and the proportion of adults who smoke has fallen from 21 per cent to 16 per cent in that period.

Health professionals hope similar warnings on sugary foods will lead to equally drastic falls in obesity and tooth decay among children.

A third of kids aged two to 15 are now overweight or obese.

And around 34,000 children aged nine and under have had teeth removed in the last two years. Half of those were under five.

Tooth decay is the number one reason why children are admitted to hospital and need general anaesthetic. Experts say decay is preventable.

Dr Latifa Patel, who will propose the motion on behalf of the BMA’s North West Regional Council at the annual conference in Bournemouth this week, said: “We want healthier children and we need a long-term policy.

“We are hoping for the same sort of affect that warnings on cigarette packets have had on smoking.

“Even confectioners, I presume, have a responsibility – just like the smoking industry – to make sure their products are consumed in a responsible manner.

“So, I think confectioners will like having warnings on their sweets about sugar content and advice to brush your teeth after.”

The congregation of doctors will debate and vote on the motion on Thursday.

The policy will be discussed at the British Medical Association’s annual conference in Bournemouth this week.

Its North West Regional Council is calling for the warnings, saying it is “dismayed” by the tooth decay rate.

It wants Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to introduce “health warnings on the packaging of children’s foods where high sugar contents may contribute to.”

They also want kids aged five and under to be given free toothbrushes and for oral hygiene classes to be made compulsory.

This would see pupils being given lessons in how to brush their teeth and advised on which foods contribute to decay.

The proposal was last night backed by Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, the chair of the general dental practice at the British Dental Association.

He said: “I would widely welcome these ideas.

“Images of rotting teeth and health warnings would certainly make people think twice before eating a bag of sweets or sugary cereal.

“Anything that helps raise awareness, improves oral hygiene and reduces the need for extractions should be welcomed.”

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