Did you know that the average Australian soft drink consumer guzzles a 375ml can of soft drink every day? Per year, that’s almost 15kg of excess sugar your body doesn’t need.
Sports drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks or soft drinks – when you drink too many sugary drinks, that sugar gets turned into fat, which can lead to toxic fat and increase your risk of some cancers, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
LiveLighter is encouraging all Victorians to break their sugary drink habit and reduce the amount of toxic fat around their vital organs.
Instead of reaching for a sugary drink, follow these tips and start to LiveLighter today:
- Avoid going down the soft drink aisle at the supermarket and beware of the specials at the checkout and service stations.
- If you're eating out, don't go with the default soft drink – see what other options there are, or just ask for water.
- Carry a water bottle, so you don't have to buy a drink if you're thirsty.
- Be wary of health or nutrition claims on drinks. Producers try to make their beverages sound healthier than they are, so check the amount of sugar on the nutrition panel and consider the size of the bottle.
- Use the LiveLighter Sugary Drinks Calculator to see how much sugar your favourite drink contains, how much exercise is required to burn off your sugary drink habit and how many litres you’re drinking each year.
- Learn more about sugary drinks on the LiveLighter website.
Delivered by the Cancer Council Victoria and Heart Foundation, the LiveLighter campaign is funded by the Victorian State Government. It is one element of a complex public health system’s intervention that is being delivered at a state and community level across Victoria – Healthy Together Victoria. For more information visit www.livelighter.com.au