Introduction –
Excess sugar consumption is the largest factor behind the rising national rates of obesity. Excess sugar is also by far the most important driver of diabetes. Sugary foods and drinks negatively impacts nutrition and health, as they tend to be high in calories but not all that filling leading to over-consumption, tooth decay, weight gain, and related health problems.
The World Health Organization suggests that the sugar intake should be limited to no more than 10% of total calories intake . Sugar intakes of all population groups are above the recommendations. According to latest figures, almost 25% of adults, 10% of four to five-year-olds and 19% of ten-year-olds in the country are obese, with significant numbers also being
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Several bold public policy measures targeting both the supply and demand of sugary food and drink products are required to tackle the obesity epidemic. Evidence from other countries suggests that a price increase, through an indirect tax or levy on sugar (Sugar tax), can influence the consumption behavior of people. The sugar tax could act to nudge people away from sugar rich products and help raise revenue that could be directed to the health budget to make special provisions for obesity and allied medical conditions. A sugar tax that distinguishes between different degrees of sugariness is best suited.
Following sections provide the pros and cons of a sugar tax.
Pros of a sugar
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An attempt to tax sugar could only provide with limited results in terms of moderating people’s behavior. Other initiatives that tackle the allied problems can be employed as an alternative to the sugar tax. These initiatives could include spreading awareness about benefits of healthy lifestyle, regulating the excessive marketing, advertising and price promotion activities of food industry manufacturers (especially to children), and moderating sales of oversized portion. Following are some of these alternatives –
1. Adopt a Definitive Sugar standard. Classify food and drink products according to their sugar content. Clear and distinct labels with pictorial representation about the quantity of sugar should be attached on the products. Innovative methods like depicting the quantity of sugar by showing spoonfuls of sugar on the package could be employed as deterrent against buying high sugar products.
2. Regulate Marketing and Advertising activities. Sugary foods and drinks are aggressively marketed and promoted that distort the purchasing behavior. Tough measures must be adopted to tackle the marketing, advertising, promotion and sponsorship activities across all platforms. Strict ban should be imposed on advertising high sugar products to children at retail outlets, fast food joints, restaurants and
According to the article, Too Much Can Make Us Sick (http://www.sugarscience.org/too-much-can-make-us-sick/), “Heart disease. Diabetes. These chronic conditions are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Increasingly, scientists are focusing on a common set of underlying metabolic issues that raise people's risk for chronic disease. It turns out that the long-term overconsumption of added sugars is linked to many of these dysfunctions.” This means that people living today, have a lot more trouble with diseases because of our unhealthy sugar intake compared to the
While nobody denies we have a problem with taxation in this country for food, beverages, and everything that we buy in general, I believe that we should have a fat tax to detour people from buying soda and other fattening foods. We should also ban sodas and other fattening foods from vending machines in schools, and replace them with more healthy selections.
"Why single out sugar-sweetened beverages when cookies, candy, and other products with lots of added sugar and fats are equally unhealthy, consumed in large quantities
The article,“ Battle lines drawn over soda tax,” by Associated Press , the Press explains how there is an ongoing “national fight about taxing sugary drinks.” According to Associated Press, “ Health experts say the beverages contribute to health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay.” This quote demonstrates that sugary drinks can lead to health issues. Since sugary drinks leads to health issues, people are considering soda tax. This is because thirteen percent of adult minorities are diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes.
“From 1989 to 2008, calories from sugary beverages increased by 60% in children ages 6
Through comprehension of the significant relationship between SSBs and obesity, the existence of an unhealthy food environment and the indirect association of SSBs with chronic and severe diseases, it is clear that a sugar tax would aide in not only decreasing obesity rates but also improving health. Many argue that sugar taxes will not decrease obesity because there are multiple causes of obesity. However, as physicians, in our many roles, we can help to build a multi-sectoral approach to help decrease rates and I believe sugar taxes would be a good stepping stone. As a future physician, I play an important role in my patients’ health, and need to make sure that in addition to the implementation of the sugar tax, I involve a multidisciplinary team, educate my patients, and also encourage physical activity. Overall, the sugar tax and its multiple benefits should be strongly considered by the Canadian government to help decrease obesity rates and improve the health of
You are out for a quiet lunch with your family, the waitress walks over and your 6 year old child asks for a lemonade with their lunch. Sure, you think one glass of soft drink won’t hurt right? Wrong. That one, seemingly innocent glass of lemonade contains a whopping 6 teaspoons of sugar. I doubt that you would let your child eat 6 teaspoons of sugar from a bowl, so why would you allow them to consume it in the form of a sugary soft drink? Sugar is highly addictive, can cause cancer and is causing childhood obesity. The proliferation of sugar in society is causing widespread problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancers, tooth decay and acid wear. Additionally, Rethink Sugary Drink claims that one can of soft drink a day can lead to an annual
The sugar tax is regressive because it will take a higher percentage of revenue from those on low – incomes. To myself, I do not think that it is equal because the poorest of consumers are already paying more than 20% of their gross wages. Adding the sugar tax will be a burden. If the low-income earners of our society are financial sensitive, they would switch to on – sugary drinks and avoid the tax all over. The Office of Budgetary Responsibility states that ‘the cost of the tax will be passed entirely passed on to the price paid by the consumers’ the tax will hit the consumers as they will have to pay for the new cost of the tax and not the soft drink companies. Whereas those who are more fortunate will continue to purchases this sugary drinks regarding the adding of a few more bucks. Nevertheless, the sugar tax would only have a small influence of those who can and cannot afford the tax, those who cannot afford it will learn to adapt as those who can just keep swiping their credit until it
A soda tax aims to stop consumers from buying soda to help those who are obese. This will not be effective. Therefore, a soda tax will not be good public policy. A soda tax is a tax that will add an extra cent per ounce to a bottle or can of a sugary drink, including juice, tea, coffee, energy drinks, and soda.
By adding a tax, people will stop buying unhealthy foods daily. Being able to decrease the number of unhealthy food people eat, will better our overall health, and will decline our obesity rates. A study done "as of 2003, US states without sales taxes on soft drinks or snack foods were 4 times as likely as states with a tax to have a relative increase in the prevalence of obesity" (Franck, Grandi, & Eisenberg, 2003). This is a good example of how taxing junk food will help the populations problem with obesity. With easier access to junk food, people are more likely to buy it because it is a cheap substitute for the pricey healthy
Mark Bittman’s article, “Taxing Sugar to Fund a city,” emphasizes that on one hand, the taxation of sugar sweetened beverages would be a bonus. On the other hand it could continue to not be supported by the people and government. Taxation of sugar sweetened beverages is being considered in many different places throughout the world. The taxation was becoming a failure everywhere, until it worked for the first time in several cities. Cites such as Northern California, San Francisco, Albany and Richmond. These cities opened up their ideas to this new type of taxation, once those places became supportive many others begin to also be supportive of this new taxation. Philadelphia plans to use the taxes received for the needy, community schools, public parks, recreation centers and libraries. Some cities support using the money this way rather than using the tax for safe free drinking water like in Berkley and Mexico. Taxed products
When a person gains weight, they think the main cause is the fat that is included in the food they eat. They are terribly mistaken. According to the video Hungry for Change, they say, “ In the 1900’s, an average person only consumed about 15g of sugar a day. But in the present, modern adults consumes 70-80g of sugar a day, and teens consumes about 120-150g”. Sugar is not only a unhealthy diet and obesity, but it is the main cause of overweight. Sugar does not contain fat, but when people eat more calories than they burn, the remaining calories stays as fat. By being overweight, it can impact a person’s entire quality of life. In the physical health, the right kind of food gives you the strength and energy to make it through in your everyday lifestyle. In other words, by eating the wrong kind of foods, you won't get the energy you need in your life. In the mental/emotional health, a little stress is good for your body because it gives ...
In America over 300,000 people are obese and that number continues to grow because the about of junk food that is being consumed. This cost the economy one hundred billion dollars. That more damage done than smoking or drinking. (Crowley, Michael 5) There are other health problems, such as heart diseases, chronic diseases, and type-two diabetes that occur because of junk food. Increasing the price of junk food, by adding tax, researchers hope that this will prod people to reject unhealthy foods. Taxes will also encourage a healthier lifestyle, even in low-income families (Franck, Caroline 2).
Sugary drinks are a major cause of obesity. Most children and young adults are overweight or obese because they are consuming too much of a sugary drink. “2 out of 3 adults and 1 out of 3 children in the united states are overweight or obese.” Most of the time children and adults consume some type of sugary drink and then afterwards will not do any physical activity. Mainly sugary drinks like, soda and energy drinks is advertised to children between the ages of 2-17. Obesity is a big thing in the U.S. Many Americans will develop type 2 diabetes throughout their lifetime because they consumed too much of a sugary beverage. They consume but do not get any physical activity. In order for a person to be fit and healthy, they must get up you 30-60 minutes of physical a...