Parents should shun 'healthy' fruit drinks that can have as much sugar as a can of Coke and give their children water instead, say experts Clever marketing strategies mean drinks are presented as "fun and fashionable" Fruit drinks 'are mini-health timebombs, contributing to obesity, rotten teeth, diabetes and other health problems' Parents believe it is mean to give their children water and so opt for "healthy alternatives" Robinson's Fruit Shoot My-5 is sold as 'real juice with a splash of water' and 'one of your five a day'. Labelling 'complies with current regulations' Parents should shun supposedly healthy fruit drinks and give their children water instead, health experts have urged. They warned that many apparently healthy drinks are loaded with sugar, with some being almost as sweet as Coca-Cola. Clever marketing strategies mean they are presented as "fun and fashionable" meaning children - and parents - find them hard to resist. Examples include Robinson's Fruit Shoot My-5, which is sold as "real juice with a splash of water" and "one of your five a day." A 200ml bottle contains more than 16g - or around four teaspoons of sugar. Per 100ml, this is almost as much as Coke. The health and food campaign group Sustain says that while masquerading as healthy, fruit drinks are "mini-health timebombs," contributing to obesity, rotten teeth, diabetes and other health problems that cost the NHS billions a year. Experts said water is the best option. Annie Anderson, professor of public health nutrition at Dundee University, said: "What is wrong with water? She told the Observer: "We need to promote water drinking...it's cool, refreshing, thirst-quenching and healthy." Others said that parents believe it is "mean" to give their children water and so opt for "healthy alternatives" instead. Sustain is heading a coalition of 67 health charities, medical royal colleges and public health bodies that are calling for a sugary drink tax. A levy of 20p a litre would raise £1billion a year, with the proceeds ploughed back into child health. Sustain said just as taxes are used to discourage smoking and drinking, there is now "lots of evidence" that the same approach would work for food. However, the Government, which as to date favoured voluntary agreements with the food industry over mandatory rulings, has shown no interest in its proposal. Campaigners Annie Anderson, professor of public health nutrition at Dundee University (pictured left) asks: "What is wrong with water?' and Sustain's campaign director Charlie Powell (right) says expensive marketing strategies are undermining parents' efforts to encourage families to eat healthily Campaigns director of Sustain, Charlie Powell, said: "Parents" best efforts to encourage their families to eat healthily are undermined by cynical multi-million-pound marketing strategies that present sugary drinks as fun and fashionable. As government chooses to ignore the science that clearly classifies sugar as toxic, it's no surprise that public health policies fail to protect children.' The food industry says that while obesity is a serious problem, soft drinks contribute just 2 per cent of the calories in the average diet. And although obesity is on the rise, soft drink consumption is actually falling. Labelling on the Robinsons drink describe it as "healthy" but only give adult dosage guidelines. Manufacturer Britvic says the labelling complies with current regulations. Many apparently healthy drinks are loaded with sugar, with some being almost as sweet as Coca-Cola. But parents are being urged to shun even supposedly healthy fruit drinks and give their children water instead