Lead author Nyamdavaa Byambadorj said Australian policymakers looking to reduce children's consumption of sugary drinks should investigate beyond current education campaigns and voluntary measures, and adopt evidence-based, successful interventions already tested overseas .
"Obesity is estimated to cost the Australian community $87.7 billion by 2032 without further actions, according to Australia's National Obesity Strategy," he said.
"This study shows how government can help shift family choices towards healthier sugar-free selections, especially for children at greater risk of chronic disease."
Dr Byambadorj said that critically, Mongolia has already approved an excise tax law on sugar-sweetened beverages – due to commence in January 2027 – and is also considering other measures.
The study, recently published in Social Science & Medicine, examined how 267 parents in Mongolia responded to different interventions, including price, labelling, sugar content and product placement.
They found raising prices on sugary drinks is the most effective single health measure available to policymakers. Simulated scenarios showed the largest drop in sugary drink selection – around 30 per cent – occurred when price increases were paired with warning labels and less visible placement.
Graphic warning labels were also a strong deterrent, with parents less willing to choose products carrying explicit health warnings or placed out-of-sight.
"In our study, we saw stronger impacts when parents were warned about risks such as obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Moving sugary drinks to less prominent shelf positions, such as bottom shelves or the back of displays, further reduced selection in a cost-effective, simple but impactful way," he said.
Dr Byambadorj said the Mongolian experience shows even modest price increases could significantly reduce sugary drink consumption with the biggest impacts when pricing was combined with warning labels and changes to product display.
Dr Nyamdavaa Byambadorj is a health economist and quantitative policy researcher who studied at the Mongolian University of Life Sciences before completing his PhD at Macquarie University in Sydney.
