**Sugar Marketing and Industry Influence:**
– In the early 1950s, sugar was marketed as a healthy substance for curbing hunger and providing an energy boost.
– Marketing methods include high-sugar versions of low-sugar brands, health-associated words, and fruit associations.
– Shill advertising through front groups and individuals is used.
– Women and children are targeted for sugary product marketing.
– Sugary products are positioned as a freedom-of-choice issue rather than a public health one.
– Sugar industry influences medical research and public health recommendations.
– Research outcomes on sugary food and drink health effects vary based on industry ties.
– Efforts to steer coverage of sugar-related health information in popular media have been made.
– The Sugar Research Foundation funded influential medical reviews to advance business interests.
– Industry-funded studies have influenced policymaking committees.
– Sugar industry lobbying has impacted research funding priorities.
– The WHO’s sugar consumption recommendations faced industry opposition.
– European dietary guidelines were influenced by sugar industry threats.
– The US sugar industry lobbied Congress to cut WHO funding.
– Internal documents revealed industry funding for health research and media outreach.
**Controversies and Legal Issues in the Sugar Industry:**
– The Corn Refiners Association and the Sugar Association engaged in a lawsuit against each other.
– Internal documents exposed funding to individuals and organizations for health research and media outreach.
– Coca-Cola paid millions for promoting controversial health messages related to sweet drinks.
– Shilling practices by industry groups were revealed in the lawsuit.
– Legal battles between industry associations have continued over the years.
**Health Impacts of Sugar Consumption and Sugar Taxes:**
– Industry influence has led to conflicting research outcomes on the health effects of sugar.
– Efforts to shape sugar-related health information in popular media have affected public perception.
– The sugar industry’s manipulation of scientific processes has raised concerns about public health.
– Industry-funded studies have been criticized for bias and manipulation.
– Policymaking committees are urged to give less weight to food industry-funded studies.
– Association of sugar with health issues.
– Effects of sugar on diets.
– Community campaigns against sugary drinks.
– Impact of soft drink taxes on consumption.
– Results of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes.
– Impact of sugar taxes on sales.
– Response to sugar taxes in Mexico.
– Effectiveness of sugar taxes in reducing sales.
– Results of soda tax in Berkeley.
– Implementation of soda tax in Philadelphia.
**Global Response to Sugar Consumption and Sugar Taxes:**
– International efforts to reduce sugar consumption.
– Effects of sugar taxes on sales worldwide.
– Influence of sugar industry on policies.
– Impact of sugar taxes on public health.
– Success of sugar taxes in reducing consumption.
**Beverage Industry Response and Lobbying Tactics:**
– Sugar industry threatened WHO report.
– Sugar industry lobbying tactics revealed.
– Beverage industry response to sugar taxes.
– Soft drink industry lobbying strategies.
The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (January 2024) |
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: The most recent given information in this article is from 2016, and the future tense for "US nutritional labelling changes" indicates newer information is needed. (January 2024) |
Sugar is heavily marketed both by sugar producers and the producers of sugary drinks and foods. Apart from direct marketing methods such as messaging on packaging, television ads, advergames, and product placement in setting like blogs, industry has worked to steer coverage of sugar-related health information in popular media, including news media and social media.
Sugar refiners and manufacturers of sugary foods and drinks have also sought to influence medical research and public health recommendations. The results of research on the health effects of sugary food and drink differ significantly, depending on whether the researcher has financial ties to the food and drink industry. The authors of a 2016 review of funding bias concluded that "This industry seems to be manipulating contemporary scientific processes to create controversy and advance their business interests at the expense of the public's health".