Weighing in on sugar tax


The World Health Organisation’s recommendation that nations tax sugary drinks is a well-meaning one, but the needs of local communities cannot be left out

If, some years down the line, there was to be a retrospective of crucial life-saving public health interventions, the World Health Organisation’s recommendation, of October 11, 2016, might well be a red-letter moment — that nations tax sugary drinks, in the face of what seems like an overwhelming global addiction to them. It presumed that this would go on to “lower consumption and reduce obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay”.

Health benefits

The WHO indicated that “at least a 20 per cent increase in the retail price of sugary drinks would result in proportional reductions in consumption of such products”. Deriving its conclusions from the report “Fiscal policies for Diet and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs)”, the organisation argued that reduced consumption of sugary drinks means lower intake of “free sugars” and calories overall, apart from improved nutrition...................Read more

 

Source: The Hindu


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