Sugar is very much in the public eye in terms of its role in the diet and its contribution to the growing rates of obesity worldwide. In August 2018 under a joint project, the Australian Sugar Milling Council and CANEGROWERS updated a public sentiment survey that was first undertaken in 2016. When asked about their concerns around sugar and health, the survey found that the number of people in the ‘neutral’ or the ‘don’t know’ category had increased between the two surveys. This represents a risk for the Australian sugar industry. Unless millers and growers become involved constructively in the debate, fence sitters are open to influence to tip in a negative direction and side with the anti-sugar advocates and the public policy direction they are advocating, namely a sugar tax. Experience in other sectors, e.g. greyhound racing and livestock exports, highlights the risk of government intervention, additional and costly industry regulations, taxes or worse. Key words Obesity, health, survey, sentiment, social license, sugar