words per minute
13
SURYA_JMT
00:00
Speed
The consumption of drinks with a high sugar content has increased enormously over the last few decades. There are several possible reasons for this trend, but global marketing has probably been the most important. This reason, among others, will be examined in the course of this essay and some possible solutions identified.
There are several reasons for the increasing popularity of sugary drinks but the most important is almost certainly the power of marketing and advertising. In many countries, it is impossible to turn on the television or visit the cinema without seeing seductive commercials for drinks such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi or Sprite. These products originate from hugely powerful and wealthy corporations which have massive budgets to market them. These drinks are made to seem essential for young people and so their consumption is rising quickly, all over the world. The psychological power of advertising is well-known and can induce people to purchase products they would not otherwise have considered. Furthermore, people world-wide now seem to have more of a "sweet tooth" and increasingly select food and drink with a heavy sugar content.
It will be very difficult to reverse this trend, but several strategies could be attempted. Firstly, there needs to be a campaign to raise awareness of the hazards caused by these drinks. This should primarily be the responsibility of schools who should educate their pupils as to the dangers posed by consuming too much sugar. This could be supplemented by a ban on TV advertising of sugary drinks during hours that young people are likely to watch television. Finally, if all else fails, legislation could be introduced to regulate the amount of sugar that can be added to soft drinks. This approach has recently been tried in countries such as the United Kingdom, but it is too soon to know for certain how effective it will be.
In conclusion, the power of advertising has driven the world-wide increase in the popularity of sugary drinks and robust measures will need to be implemented to reverse its effects. If nothing is done then health conditions such as obesity and diabetes, which are exacerbated by high levels of sugar consumption, will become more common among people worldwide.