The Victorian councils ‘nudging’ people away from buying sugary drinks at sporting venues

Sugary drinks at council sporting venues and facilities across eight areas in Victoria will be harder to come by under a new initiative to tackle obesity.

Councils with the highest obesity rates in Victoria including Melton, Frankston, East Gippsland and Northern Grampians are among those joining in the sugary drinks crackdown.

The $500,000 VicHealth initiative will promote the availability of water over sugary drinks, to make them less visible at sporting facilities.

Dietitian Jen Reimers told Neil Mitchell it was important to “nudge” people towards a healthy choice.

“Fridges would be stocked with water, there would be far less of the stocks of the sugary drinks,” she said.

“They are still available, we aren’t taking away people’s choices.”

But some 3AW callers weren’t so sure about the idea.

Caller Steve said he was “flabbergasted”.

Click PLAY to hear the full interview on 3AW Mornings