English Theme Park Takes a Stand Against Sugar

Thorpe Park, a theme park in Great Britain, has adopted a new policy: it is removing full-sugar drink options from their fountain machines. Not all sugary bottled beverages will be leaving, though; guests who wish to purchase bottled Coke Classic or Monster Green Energy Drinks can do so but will be asked to pay an additional 15p per 500ml in fees.

If your picture of a day at the local theme park is like most people, you probably imagine hopping on a sea of rides, enjoying a giant ball of cotton candy, and sipping on soft drinks bigger than your hand. However, this picture may be making a change to the healthy side–at least if you were to visit Thorpe Park, one of the most popular parks across the pond. The tropical island-themed attraction is doing their part to fight back against rising rates of childhood obesity in England by pulling full-sugar Coca-Cola products from their menus.

Cutting the Coke for kids

In an interview with Metro.co.uk, a spokesperson for Thorpe Park stated that the shift in menu selection is an attempt to support the UK’s rigid regulation to curb childhood obesity. “As our resort has a younger age demographic, we have taken steps to remove Coke Classic from free dispense drinks fountains and will be encouraging our guests to select a lower sugar option with their food purchases when drinks are offered as part of a meal deal promotion.”1

Ban backlash

Not everyone is pleased with Thorpe Park’s stance on sugary drinks. Twitter user Charlotte Marsh pointed out that she believes it’s hypocritical for the amusement park to remove Coke but leave a menu full of processed, calorie-laden, and sugar-packed treats to eat.

“This is so twisted…Remove coke, but keep all the rest crap food, ice creams, sweets, fizz starch,” the Twitter-user criticized. 1 Other users echoed her sentiment, with some expressing concern over the levels of chemicals in diet and artificially flavored drinks remaining on Thorpe Park’s menu. Despite the backlash, Thorpe Park’s stance remained firm: Coke won’t be coming back, at least for the time being.

The UK: leading the fight against childhood obesity

When it comes to government regulations attempting to curb obesity, few countries are taking as proactive of a role as the United Kingdom. This year, the UK put into effect its new “sugar levy,” which places tax penalties on corporations who produce drinks containing high levels of artificial sugar. Governments around the world are also taking their own steps to reduce shoppers’ consumption of sugar, ranging from similar taxes being placed on Mexican consumers to FDA crackdowns on the labeling of nutritional labels, forcing manufacturers to reveal just how much added sugar is going into their products.