Australian state to ban sugar-based beverages in hospitals

Sydney, June 8 (IANS) Australia's New South Wales' (NSW) state announced on Thursday that it will ban sugar-based beverages in all hospitals in order to combat increasing obesity.

The move comes as part of NSW Health's "Make Healthy Normal" campaign, which aims to achieve a 5 per cent reduction in overweight and obesity rates in adults by 2020, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There's no better way to start than right here on our own doorstep," NSW Health chief health officer Kerry Chant said.

"By establishing this model we hope it shows how a workable strategy can be successfully implemented across any organization to assist healthier choices in any staffing environment," Chant said.

According to the NSW Heart Foundation, a health advocacy and charity group, "one in two adults and more than one in five children in the state are overweight or obese", which dramatically heightens the risk of a wide range of chronic health conditions including "type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and some cancers".

"Governments at every level have a role to play in making the healthy choice easy," NSW Heart Foundation's chief executive Kerry Doyle told Xinhua news agency.

"People visiting hospitals and patients should all have access to healthy foods and not have the temptation of sugar laden drinks confronting them at every corner."

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