Sugary drinks may require health-warning labels should new California bill pass

Sugary drinks like sodas and fruit juices may soon begin carrrying a health-warning label in California should a proposed bill pass legislation.

This first-ever sugar-wary law was written by state Sen. Bill Monning of Santa Cruz, who cited studies showing a link between sugary drinks and obesity, tooth decay and diabetes as the reason behind the proposed rule.

Monning compares the new bill, SB1000, to other common health advisories.

"As with tobacco and alcohol warnings, this legislation will give Californians essential information they need to make healthier choices," he said in a statement.

The warning label would read: "State of California Safety Warning: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contribute to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay."

The beverages sold in the Golden State that would require the warning label include any made with 75 or more calories per 12 ounces of added artificial sweeteners.

Even fast-food restaurants with self-serve soda dispensers would need the warning on their machines. Other business, like movie theatres, which pour your soda for you behind a counter, would have to put a visible warning on their countertops.

Estimates show the average American consumes an astonishing 45 gallons of sugary goodness annually. Even just one soda a day increases an adult's risk for obesity by 27 percent, and 55 percent for children, according to the California Medical Association.

Not surprisingly, sugary drink companies are not thrilled about the bill.

"We agree that obesity is a serious and complex issue," said CalBev, a group representing Coca-Cola Co., Pepsi-Cola Co. and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, in a statement. "However, it is misleading to suggest that soft drink consumption is uniquely responsible for weight gain. In fact, only 4 percent of calories in the average American diet are derived directly from soda."

Doctors, meanwhile, are hailing the stand against sugary beverages.

"The science on the harmful impacts associated with drinking soda and other sugary drinks is clear and conclusive," said Dr. Harold Goldstein of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy in a statement. "These diseases cost California billions of dollars in health care and lost productivity every year. When any product causes this much harm, it is time to take action."