Medical professionals are calling for action in the fight against sugar, saying it could be just as lethal as smoking.

The Australian and New Zealand College of Aneesthetists said high sugar diets see people die earlier and spend more time in hospital.

It warns type two diabetes and obesity are majorly impacting people's health and can cause complications post-surgery by increasing the risk of infection.

Doctor Judith Killen told Larry Williams the health impact of sugar is the same as cigarettes and we need to find a solution.

"Sugar is added to virtually every food in order to get market share and then sugar is part of food and we can't just tell people to stop eating."

Dr Killen said sugar is hard to avoid and better education around nutrition is desperately needed.

"This particularly impacts on people in lower socio-economic groups who can't take in that information and of course the food companies put it in very tiny writing."