The hidden sugar in our diet: How sweet drinks are harming Bangladesh’s health

On a hot summer afternoon in Dhaka, a chilled bottle of soft drink or a glass of sweetened iced tea feels like instant relief. But behind the refreshing taste lies a silent threat — too much sugar consumption is quietly triggering a public health crisis in Bangladesh.

Regularly drinking sugary drinks greatly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health problems. Sugary drinks are also linked to tooth decay, fatty liver disease, and even certain cancers. For children and teenagers, the risks are even higher. Eating too much sugar early in life can cause health problems that last a lifetime.

In Bangladesh, sweet tea ("cha") is a daily ritual. With the growing popularity of food vlogging, new variations such as malai tea, malta tea, orange tea, and even lassi have become trendy. Young people are drawn to these drinks without considering their health effects. Bottled fruit juices are also widely consumed, often perceived as a healthy choice.

However, many of these so-called "fruit juices" are little more than sugar water with artificial flavouring and contain very little real fruit. Similarly, traditional drinks served at weddings or during iftar in Ramadan are often loaded with excessive sugar. Changing these habits is not easy — taste preferences, social customs, and lack of awareness all play a role in keeping sugar intake high.

To fight the problem, health experts recommend a combination of education, policy changes, and industry regulation. This includes school awareness campaigns, encouraging alternatives such as water, unsweetened tea, and fruit-infused water, and clear labelling of sugar content on beverage packaging. Taxes on sugary drinks could also be effective in reducing consumption. Some countries, like Mexico and the UK, have already introduced sugar taxes and seen declines in soft drink consumption. The UK's sugar levy, introduced in 2018, has proven effective in cutting sugar intake. Even before it came into effect, over half of manufacturers reformulated their drinks to avoid the charge. Between 2015 and 2018, the levy led to a 28.8% reduction in sugar content per 100 ml in affected beverages, according to Public Health England.

Research shows it may have prevented more than 5,000 cases of obesity each year among primary school girls, and fewer children in England have required tooth extractions due to decay since the policy began. Similar measures could work in Bangladesh if combined with strong public awareness campaigns.

While policy changes take time, everyone can start making changes today:

• Choose plain water instead of soft drinks.

• Check labels before buying packaged beverages.

• Limit sweet tea to one or two small cups a day.

• Offer fresh fruit instead of sugary desserts at gatherings.

The sweet taste of sugary drinks comes with a bitter cost to health—it brings long-term health risks. Choosing water today could mean avoiding medicine tomorrow.

The writer is a dietitian. Email: [email protected]