Posted:
2016-10-17
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), such as pop/soft drinks/soda, fruit drinks, sport drinks, energy and vitamin water drinks, and sweetened iced tea and lemonade, to lower consumption and to reduce the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay worldwide. In February 2016 Dietitians of Canada also recommended
taxation on SSB. Listen to a recent eight-minute
Viewpoint Podcast interview with Kate Comeau from Dietitians of Canada. Within the
WHO report, it states, "The evidence for meaningful health effects is strongest for taxes on SSB, with suggestions that SSB prices would need to be raised by 20%, or more. Such taxes lead to more than proportional reductions in SSB consumption and net reductions in caloric intake, and thus contribute to improving nutrition and reducing overweight, obesity and NCDs. Similarly strong evidence shows that subsidies for fresh fruits and vegetables, that reduce prices by 10-30%, are effective in increasing fruit and vegetable consumption". WHO further suggests that funds raised go toward fruit and vegetable subsidizes. See Additional Content:
What interventions can help reduce consumption of energy from SSB in children?