3.7 mln obesity cases could be avoided in Britain with sugar tax: report

A 20 percent tax on sugary drinks could reduce obesity rates in Britain by 5 percent by 2025, according to a new report published Friday by Cancer Research UK.

The report predicts that the sugary drinks tax can lead to some 3.7 million fewer obese people if current trends continue.

Being overweight and obese is a major cause of preventable illness and death in Britain, including cancer, type two diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke.

Junk food, high in sugar and fat, is cheap, widely promoted and all too accessible. Research shows that the price of food influences what people buy, so introducing a tax on sugary drinks provides an incentive to buy less or switch to a healthier choice.

Adults and young children consume twice the maximum recommended amount of added sugar. And 11 to 18-year-olds' eat and drink three times the recommended limit, with sugary drinks being their main source of added sugar, according to the report.

Recent polls show that a sugary drink tax is backed by the majority of the public with 55 percent supporting the measure and only 36 percent opposed.

"The ripple effect of a small tax on sugary drinks is enormous. These numbers make it clear why we need to act now before obesity becomes an even greater problem," said Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK's director of cancer prevention.

"The government has a chance to help reduce the amount of sugar consumed by adults and children and to give future generations the best chance of a healthier life," said Cox. Endit