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CALIFORNIA. — Legislators in California and New York are considering requiring warning labels on high-sugar drinks as a weapon against childhood obesity and a study claims the labels would dissuade parents from giving them to their children, Carina Storrs reported for CNN.

The study used an online survey to show 2 381 parents a series of beverages and used labels featured in California’s proposed law: “Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”

When the parents saw sodas and sugary juices with the label, only 40 percent of parents said they would give their child the sugary drink, compared with 53 percent who saw the calorie-count label used currently or 60 percent of parents who saw the drinks with no labels.

“(Health warning labels) provide an extra layer of information that people can understand,” said David Hammond, lead researcher and professor in the school of public health at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. — Christian Science Monitor.