Ms Cliona Loughnane:

We are talking about fiscal measures today. We recognise that obesity is a multifaceted issue and requires many policies if it is to be tackled. With regard to a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, we are talking about this product because it is completely different from any other. It has no nutritional value. A normal bottle of cola contains 12.5 teaspoons of sugar. We are accustomed to seeing people drinking bottles of cola but if we were to see the liquid part removed and somebody ingesting 12.5 teaspoons of sugar in one go, we would be quite disturbed. There is much scientific evidence on this.

There are also issues with products containing fat but randomised controlled trials from countries across the world show that an increase in the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks leads to an increase in calorie consumption and weight and, therefore, may be responsible for an increase in obesity. There is also a dose–response relationship such that the more sugar-sweetened drinks one consumes, the more weight one puts on. The evidence is incontrovertible that this is a very particular product with a real part in the obesity epidemic. As I stated in my opening statement, one reason for this is that drinks do not seem to satiate as much as other products. When one drinks 12.5 teaspoons of sugar, one does not feel as full as when one eats a product with that quantity of sugar in it. One does not decompensate in terms of the food one takes in.

In the Irish Heart Foundation, which is supported by the RCPI, we certainly believe there is a real connection between sugar, particularly sugar-sweetened drinks, and obesity.