Australian supermodel Robyn Lawley has been unveiled as the latest weapon in the war between Australia’s beverage industry and the anti-sugar movement.
The 26-year-old new mum, who launched a campaign for Fruit Juice Australia in Sydney yesterday, said fad diets were brainwashing people into avoiding fruit and juice.
“I’ve seen fruit juice get quite demonised in the past few years,” Robyn says, “Fructose can be really good for you and I think this idea that fruit juice is the same as soft drink is completely misguided.
“You should not be scared of fruit or fruit juice. The whole idea of being scared of fruit is just mind-blowing to me.”
Diets like Paleo and I Quit Sugar limit fruit and juice because of their sugar content. Fructose, which is naturally found in fruit and juice, has been singled out for particular criticism, with some claiming it is the major driver of obesity and disease.
Books like Sweet Poison by David Gillespie and the documentary That Sugar Film have also claimed fruit juice is especially harmful.
These messages appear to be having an impact, with fruit juice sales dropping about three per cent year-on-year. However, not everyone agrees.
CSIRO research scientist Malcom Riley, who was commissioned by Fruit Juice Australia to analyse data from the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, said eating whole fruit was the best way to get the recommended two serves a day – but that a 125mL glass of juice can be a useful occasional substitute for those who don’t meet the guidelines.
“Overall, 81 per cent of children and 93 per cent of adults did not meet their daily fruit recommendations from eating fruit alone,” he says.
“But if you count fruit juice, the percentage who do meet the recommended intake doubles.”
Those who did have juice got nutrients like vitamin C, folate and potassium, he said.
New York-based Robyn, who gave birth to a daughter Ripley with partner Everest Schmidt in February, said she advocated an “everything in moderation” approach to diet.
“I don’t restrict myself,” she says.
“Have fun, don’t restrict yourself and focus on wellbeing instead of diets because that just makes you crazy. Live like the French and Italians: they just eat, drink and live their lives and don’t think about it too much.”
Robyn, who is 6ft 2in and a fit size 16, has made a global name for herself as a “plus-size” model and a vocal proponent of healthy body image.
National health data shows most Australians eat too much sugar (although most of that is not from fruit or juice) and that two-thirds of us are overweight or obese.
