Impose tax taxes on sodas in France?
By dint of eating poorly, being sedentary, not practicing any physical activity on a regular basis, letting oneself be dominated by one’s food compulsions, overweight has become a scourge, and this everywhere in the world. Thesebad habitsseem to be more easily acquired than others, such as watching weight, moving or eating healthy.
This disease is so problematic thatgovernments no longer knowhow to tackle it. However, some solutions exist to fight this epidemic and some of them have already proven their worth.
Worldwide
The following figures are from the World Health Organization’s first global report published last April.
Globally and in less than 40 years, the number of overweight and obese people has doubled. And it’s not just a question of poor diet, but also of an obvious lack of physical activity and healthy lifestyle habits: less walking and more car, a more sedentary professional life, industrialized nutritional products… The number of overweight adults amountsto almost two billion individuals, while children are less than fifty million to suffer from overweight or obesity. Diabetics, on the other hand, are close to five hundred million.
Thus, between diabetes and related diseases, nearly four million deaths worldwide have been recorded.
Consumers pay?
Since, under pressure from the WHO, governments can finally reduce suffering or even save lives by directly addressing the source of the obesity problem, consumers will have to pay more attention to the price of their food baskets and especially that of sugary drinks. Indeed, the UN agency says that imposing these products significantly reduces the purchase of sodas. No less than 20% for a tax increase of 20% and 50% if governments decide tohalve taxes on these liquids far too sweet.
For example, the measure recommended by WHO affects one in three adults, according to Douglas Bettcher, head of the prevention of noncommunicable diseases at WHO.
Scalable measurement
Governments therefore have the opportunity to reduce the number of diabetics. Some countries were not long in coming: already in 2014 Mexico had imposed a tax on sodas causing, at the same time, an additional 10% increase on them. Mexicans have, by rebound, reduced their consumption of sugary drinks byabout 6%. The same is true for South Africa, where tax policies are now targeting foods and beverages for which healthier intermediate solutions exist.
Thus, the World Health Organization explains, in this recent report, that sugary products should not be predominant in the daily diet of the world population. In fact, a maximum of 10% must be recommended and this only for energy purposes. It should be preferred in the morning or as a snack in the afternoon.
And to do well, this rate must be halved because it must be realized that the 5% of sugars allowed represents about six spoonfuls of sugar / day and that a can of soda is around ten spoonfuls of sugar. And all this without any interesting nutrient intake being present in this kind of liquids.
In addition, this latest report states that a reduction in fruit and vegetable prices of the order of 10 to 30% would also be a good alternative to reduce overweight and obesity worldwide. In France, these measures would be welcomed with great satisfaction on the part of consumers.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.