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Is it time to call for a sugar tax?
Is it time to call for a sugar tax?
Posted on: Thursday 2nd February 2012
In the past 50 years sugar consumption throughout the world has more than tripled and according to US experts, the sweet granule is just as damaging and addictive as alcohol and tobacco and should be regulated.
To curb and control the soaring consumption of sugar new policies, such as sugar taxes, have been suggested by a University of California team. Other suggestions have been made in the journal Nature, where Prof Robert Lustig argued for a ‘major shift’ in public policy, suggesting that taxes, age restrictions and limiting the sales of sweet food and drinks during school hours would be a change in the right direction.
However, the Food and Drink Federation have reportedly said that ‘demonising’ sugar would not solve the problem, as the key to good health is a balanced diet.
Even still, several countries have already started imposing taxes on what are considered as unhealthy foods, such as soft drinks and saturated fat, and now US researchers are proposing similar policies on sugar.
Dr Peter Scarborough of the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at the University of Oxford, said in a BBC report that although imposing taxes on certain foods was something policymakers should consider, doing so could have ‘unintended consequences’ in the form of people cutting out fruit and vegetables so they can afford the sweeter things in life.
He told the BBC: "If you only tax one aspect of food like sugar you can have unintended consequences… [But] if you tax fat, salt and sugar, combined with subsidies for fruit and vegetables, you'll get healthier diets."
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “A proposed tax on sugar certainly could have a positive impact on oral health, particularly for children. Tooth decay remains a large problem, with one in three children starting school with the disease.
“However, it remains to be seen how such a tax would be implemented successfully. It is not as simple as merely taxing sugar, as all fermented carbohydrates would also need to be taxed, so we should approach the idea with caution.
“It is clear from the rising number of health problems resulting from high sugar consumption that people need more education on what sugar-free alternatives are available. People also need clear information and advice on how they can regulate their diet. The frequency of sugar intake can cause damage to teeth, so cutting down on sugary foods and drinks will satisfy not just oral health, but overall health too.”
Barbara Gallani, director of food safety and science at the UK Food and Drink Federation, said in a BBC report that: "The key to good health is a balanced and varied diet, in the context of a healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of physical activity."
Sugar Nutrition UK said: “Over many years, a number of expert committees have examined the scientific evidence relating to the consumption of sugar and other carbohydrates. These committees have included The European Food Safety Authority (2010), World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (2003), Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2002), Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (1998) and UK Department of Health (1989). All have concluded that the balance of available evidence does not implicate sugar at the level currently consumed in any of the ‘lifestyle diseases’ such as obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, or cancer at any site”.
Posted on: Thursday 2nd February 2012
In the past 50 years sugar consumption throughout the world has more than tripled and according to US experts, the sweet granule is just as damaging and addictive as alcohol and tobacco and should be regulated.
To curb and control the soaring consumption of sugar new policies, such as sugar taxes, have been suggested by a University of California team. Other suggestions have been made in the journal Nature, where Prof Robert Lustig argued for a ‘major shift’ in public policy, suggesting that taxes, age restrictions and limiting the sales of sweet food and drinks during school hours would be a change in the right direction.
However, the Food and Drink Federation have reportedly said that ‘demonising’ sugar would not solve the problem, as the key to good health is a balanced diet.
Even still, several countries have already started imposing taxes on what are considered as unhealthy foods, such as soft drinks and saturated fat, and now US researchers are proposing similar policies on sugar.
Dr Peter Scarborough of the British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group at the University of Oxford, said in a BBC report that although imposing taxes on certain foods was something policymakers should consider, doing so could have ‘unintended consequences’ in the form of people cutting out fruit and vegetables so they can afford the sweeter things in life.
He told the BBC: "If you only tax one aspect of food like sugar you can have unintended consequences… [But] if you tax fat, salt and sugar, combined with subsidies for fruit and vegetables, you'll get healthier diets."
Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: “A proposed tax on sugar certainly could have a positive impact on oral health, particularly for children. Tooth decay remains a large problem, with one in three children starting school with the disease.
“However, it remains to be seen how such a tax would be implemented successfully. It is not as simple as merely taxing sugar, as all fermented carbohydrates would also need to be taxed, so we should approach the idea with caution.
“It is clear from the rising number of health problems resulting from high sugar consumption that people need more education on what sugar-free alternatives are available. People also need clear information and advice on how they can regulate their diet. The frequency of sugar intake can cause damage to teeth, so cutting down on sugary foods and drinks will satisfy not just oral health, but overall health too.”
Barbara Gallani, director of food safety and science at the UK Food and Drink Federation, said in a BBC report that: "The key to good health is a balanced and varied diet, in the context of a healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of physical activity."
Sugar Nutrition UK said: “Over many years, a number of expert committees have examined the scientific evidence relating to the consumption of sugar and other carbohydrates. These committees have included The European Food Safety Authority (2010), World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization (2003), Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (2002), Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (1998) and UK Department of Health (1989). All have concluded that the balance of available evidence does not implicate sugar at the level currently consumed in any of the ‘lifestyle diseases’ such as obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, or cancer at any site”.
