The calls come in response to a US study which found adding cigarette-style labels to sugary drinks stops a third of parents buying them for their children.
The study, by scientists from the University of Pennysylvania, found that 60% of parents would buy sugary drinks with no health labels, while 53% would buy them even if the number of calories in the drink were displayed.
However, only 40% of parents said they would buy a sugary drink if cigarette-style labels were on the cans or bottles. An overall drop of a third compared to drinks with no labels.
Shirley Cramer, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, told the Daily Mail: “The results of this study are promising, suggesting that health warning labels could have a role in the battle against poor diet and obesity.
“As a society we are consuming too much sugar and in addition to a sugar tax any measure which is effective in reducing purchases, and ultimately consumption of sugary drinks should be welcomed.
“Given the success that health warnings have had in other areas, such as smoking, it is right that we should adopt similar measures that may be effective in encouraging people to change their behaviour.”