For 23-year-old creative worker Benediktus Andre Setyawan, going without sweet tea would be "strange, like something is missing”.

He attributed his sweet tooth to being brought up consuming powdered and condensed milk.

Almost every day, he buys himself a 350 ml bottle of iced tea that contains 20 grams of sugar. Though still below the Health Ministry's recommended daily sugar intake of 50 grams, he gets his fill from the coffee sachets he drinks at work.

"I feel like my habit of consuming sweet drinks is not dangerous, as I am quite physically active," Andre said on Thursday.

The government, however, wants people like Andre to think twice before buying sugary products amid growing concern over the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country, partly attributed to unhealthy diets.<...