Sweet beverage spending equals 70% of the health budget www.zgm.mn
Mongolians spend MNT 522 billion on 210 million liters of sweet beverages annually, which equals 70 percent of the Ministry of Health’s budget. During a panel discussion on the Consumption of soda: Health impact, data on the interdependence between sweet food and illness of Mongolians had been presented. According to a survey that included about 2,052 children in the country, the consumption of juice was higher among young children. As of today, 381 ml of sweet drink is consumed per capita, with 88 percent of total production being domestic and 12 percent of imported products. Domestic beverages, which are several times cheaper than imported ones, are encouraging consumption of so-called “liquid candy” to grow. Researchers concern over increasing obesity in children and adults due to sweet drinks in recent years. A survey conducted by the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences (MNUMS) found that 90 percent of parents who provide sweet juices to their children know they are wrong. Of these, 83 percent of them said that they knowingly buy because of the advertisement.
Published Date:2020-01-15