Sugary soft drinks in decline: study

Australians are spurning sugar-sweetened soft drinks in favour of diet soft drinks and water, according to research released recently by the University of Wollongong.

The director of the National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods at the University of Wollongong, Professor Linda Tapsell, said that the current study on purchasing data shows how Australian beverage purchasing habits have changed over a relatively short period.

Prior to the findings released today, the last research into Australian beverage consumption trends was the 1995 National Nutrition Survey, more than a decade ago.

“It is important from a public health perspective to understand that Australian diets are likely to be constantly changing. The lack of regular up-to-date information from National Dietary Surveys is a problem, but purchasing pattern data can be useful. This information has added value in the level of detail it provides on different types of products,”said Professor Tapsell.

The study found that:

The research has been published in the latest issue of the Journal of Nutrition & Dietetics.