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In another effort to curb the obesity epidemic among children, Baltimore officials plan to push legislation that would require sellers and advertisers to post warnings about sugary drinks considered a primary driver of weight gain.
One in three school-aged children in Baltimore is overweight or obese and one in four children drink one or more sodas every day, city health officials said.
Councilman Nick Mosby plans to introduce a bill Monday night requiring the warning labels in stores, on menus and in advertising for sugar-sweetened beverages that contains added sweeteners such as sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks, some juices, coffees and teas.
Mosby and Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen announced the effort in a City Hall press conference Monday. They said the health department will supply the signs and guidance on placement. The warnings will be paired with an educational campaign.
"The science is clear: The biggest contributor to childhood obesity is sugary drinks," said Wen. "Childhood obesity will lead to adult diseases that kill, and we must do everything we can to protect the health of our children. We must inform our residents about the dangers of sugar sweetened beverages"
A recent study conducted at Tufts University in Boston and published in the journal Circulation found that consumption of sugary drinks may lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths annually from diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The move follows efforts in other localities in Maryland and nationally to ban products or warn consumers about the calories they are consuming.
In December, County Executive Allan Kittleman overturned a ban on the sale of sugary drinks and high-calorie snacks on county property and at events sponsored by the county.
New York is considering a warning label on sugary drinks after a ban on large-sized drinks was struck down in court. A similar measure stalled in the California legislature last year after some lawmakers called the effort ineffective or confusing. Bans and labels in general have been opposed by manufacturers and sellers because of limits on choice or costs.
The measure is opposed by the Maryland Retailers Association, the Restaurant Association of Maryland and the Maryland-Delaware-DC Beverage Association.