Sugary drinks off the menu

Nelson Marlborough District Health Board’s healthy eating policy now extends to sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) being removed from cafes and the hospital shop.
A change in the Healthy Eating Policy for staff and visitors has meant that sugar sweetened drinks such as soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks and flavoured milk will no longer be sold at the hospital cafes in Nelson and Wairau Hospitals after March 17, 2014. Chief Executive Chris Fleming said, “The DHB and hospitals are role models for the community when it comes to healthy food policies and practices.
“One way to achieve this is to provide an environment that makes the healthy choice the easy choice. “This policy change sends a clear message regarding diet and health and our commitment to the health of people in Nelson Marlborough. “Drinks with added sugar are the leading source of sugar for New Zealand children, and the leading risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay,” he said.
He acknowledged the policy may affect sales at the Nelson Hospital shop where volunteers operate the shop and profits are returned to the hospital through equipment purchases but also said that being a responsible health organisation we have the districts’ health as our major priority.
“The hospital cafes have been very supportive of the healthy eating policy and had already limited the sale of sugar sweetened beverages,” said Mr Fleming.
New Zealand has one of the highest consumption rates of sugar in the western world, after Mexico and the United States of America.
Principal Dental Officer, Dr Rob Beaglehole congratulated Chris Fleming and the Executive Leadership Team for showing leadership in this area and for having the foresight to modify the existing policy.
Only sugar sweetened drinks are affected by the policy change including flavoured milk; fruit juices are not included if they contain no added sugar. 
Dr Beaglehole said that while fruit juices may not have added sugar, they can be just as damaging as soft drinks.
“The drinks that will come off the shelves in Nelson Marlborough hospitals have no nutritional value, and are widely advertised and marketed, especially to children, adolescents and low income groups,” he said.
He hoped the DHB’s example would lead to Nelson, Tasman and Marlborough councils adopting similar policies. “My understanding is that this is first DHB in the country to make this change in policy,” said Dr Beaglehole.

Press release
Nelson Marlborough District Health Board
21 Feb 2014