Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Sugar tax to prevent obesity?' that was published in Newsband

Sugar tax to prevent obesity?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has taken a stand urging governments to levy taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages to end childhood obesity. Besides levying taxes, the WHO also recommends a host of other interventions such as increasing the amount of physical activity and improving access to health food.

Hungary, France, Finland and Mexico are among the many countries that have taken to such measures to combat rising obesity. Thirty-four U.S. States and the District of Columbia have food taxes that affect sugar-sweetened drinks. Mexico has one of the highest prevalence rates for overweight and obesity in the world. During the first year of taxation in Mexico, a significant drop in average volume of unhealthy drinks purchased was recorded. An increase in the price of sugar-laden drinks was directly associated with reduced consumption in Mexico, Brazil, France, and a few States in the U.S.

While the risks of childhood obesity are greatest in lower socio-economic groups in the high-income countries, levying taxes on sugar-rich drinks achieves the desired results in the target population. In case of India, at the current rate of sales of sugar-sweetened drinks, a reasonable per cent increase in taxes will reduce overweight/obesity and diabetes to a certain extent. India has obesity in people in the age group of 15-49 increased steeply during the last few years. India faces a double whammy of obesity and underweight/wasted children. Hence India should seriously consider introducing additional taxes on sugar-laden dinks, besides encouraging more physical activity in schools and other interventions.

A comprehensive national nutrition survey will soon be undertaken by UNICEF and this will provide the much-needed data that can guide the government in framing policy guidelines.

But there are critics who say that imposing extra tax is certainly not a solution. According to them the better option is to standardise the product along with its contents and that simply taxing is not a positive approach of any government to solve such problems. The critics also question as to what the government is doing about the more major problem in India which is undernourishment. They question whether there really exists relation between inflation and obesity? If not, no point in imposing tax, they strongly feel, unless if the government wants to make extra money by hiding behind this excuse. They conclude by saying that rationing sugar be restricted to diabetic patients.