WHO urges governments to tax sugary drinks

A new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that taxing sugary drinks can lower consumption and reduce obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.

The report is the result of two meetings of global experts convened by WHO and an investigation of 11 recent reviews of the effectiveness of fiscal policy interventions for improving diets and preventing non-communicable diseases.

Among the reports conclusions and recommendations are subsidies on fresh fruits and vegetables, taxation of foods and drinks high in saturated fates, free sugars and other unhealthy ingredients and excise taxes on certain products and ingredients.

The report also says that fiscal policies that lead to at least a 20% increase in the retail price of sugary drinks would result in proportional reductions in consumption of such products resulting in improved nutrition and fewer people suffering from obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

According to the WHO, in 2014 1 in 3 adults worldwide aged 18 years and older were overweight while the number of people living with diabetes has also risen from 108m in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.

“Nutritionally, people don’t need any sugar in their diet. WHO recommends that if people do consume free sugars, they keep their intake below 10% of their total energy needs, and reduce it to less than 5% for additional health benefits. This is equivalent to less than a single serving (at least 250 ml) of commonly consumed sugary drinks per day,” says Dr Francesco Branca, Director of WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.