Thank goodness the State Government has finally had the sense to ban fizzy soft drinks from school canteens.  It’s a good start.  But Dr.Mukesh Haikerwal, the President of the AMA, is not overly impressed.  He told Melissa Doyle, on Channel 7’s Sunrise yesterday that fruit juice was almost as bad as a source of excess sugar, and added: “obviously, if they are thirsty, water is the best replacement for that water that they’re losing during the course of the day”.  It’s a revolutionary concept but one that has caught on in some sectors of the population.  All those jocks and joggers running around clutching water bottles are setting a fine example to anyone who thinks about it, but until kids stop being bombarded with TV commercials telling them food has to be “exciting” and “fun”, a conscientious parent proffering a glass of plain old water is fighting an uphill battle. 

Our local Member, the Minister for Health, has flatly refused to consider a ban on those commercials. 

A straw poll of readers of The Age supported the Victorian Government’s banning of high-sugar soft drinks 85% to 15%.  If anyone asked them, they might express the same opinion about the commercials pushing the drinks.