In New York, sweet tooths will be frightened by the dangers of sugar for health through stickers with the symbol of death

The city's health department has issued an order requiring food and beverage products to be labeled with sugar warning labels. According to New York Post, restaurants face fines of up to $500 for non-compliance with the new rules.

Retailers with 15 or more stores in the US are required to use a warning symbol - a spoon filled with sugar - to warn and possibly shame those with a sweet tooth. This includes iced coffee drinks from Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts, soda, and even hot chocolate.

The proposed warning would read: “Eating too many added sugars contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and weight gain.” The health department says type 2 diabetes is one of the leading causes of premature death in New York.

US nutritionists advise that the amount of added sugar per day should not exceed 50 grams, or 10% of the recommended amount of 2000 calories. The average Coca-Cola drink at McDonald's contains 56 grams of sugar and should carry a warning label, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

How much sugar is inside?

The Starbucks White Peppermint Frappuccino has 73 grams of added sugar, and the Peppermint Mocha has 63. Numerous Dunkin' Donuts drinks contain a killer dose of sugar:

• Dunkin's Butter Pecan and Caramel Swirl - more than 100 grams
• Vanilla Bean Coolatta – 150 grams
• Large Dunkin's Blue Raspberry and Strawberry Energy Drinks powered by Rockstar - almost 100 grams
• Watermelon-Kiwi Dunkin' Lemonade Refresher – 74 grams
• Large Frozen Matcha Latte with Almond Milk – 109 grams
• Large lemonade – 59 grams
• Large hot chocolate – 63 grams of added sugar.

Health department officers have created new rules to enforce the Sweet Truth Act, which Mayor Eric Adams and the City Council approved last year. Restaurants that ignore the law face fines ranging from $200 to $500 per violation.

Pros and cons

Some condemned the rule as another example of government overreach.

“New York is becoming a nanny town,” said state Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Cassar. According to him, many residents of the Big Apple are unhappy with Adams, and “these cutesy ways will only make him unpopular.”

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But health advocates welcome the new rule.

“With New York City experiencing alarming rates of diabetes among both adults and children, New Yorkers deserve the truth about the amount of added sugars in food and beverages served at chain restaurants,” said Dr. DeAnna Nara, senior scientist at the Science Center. in the interests of society. “This bill is an innovative step toward empowering consumers to make better choices and encouraging the food industry to introduce healthier options.”

City Hall for healthy lifestyle

Adams took over the healthy lifestyle torch from his predecessors, Mike Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio.

Bloomberg, a self-proclaimed health fanatic, pushed through controversial legislation to ban smoking in bars and eateries and ban trans fats in restaurants and bakeries.

Under de Blasio, the Department of Health Services in 2015 issued a first-in-the-nation mandate requiring chain restaurants to post a warning sign next to menu items that contain at least 2300 milligrams of salt or sodium to help prevent heart disease, stroke and Type XNUMX diabetes.

Adams, a health advocate and vegetarian, advocated eliminating high-sugar chocolate milk and other sweetened milks from school cafeterias.

But he faced stiff opposition from the state's dairy industry and lawmakers.