British Doctors Demand 20% Tax on 'Sugary Drinks' to Fight Britain's Obesity

Current dietary recommendations in Britain suggest that sugar added to food or naturally present in fruit juice and honey should account for 10% of energy intake. However, many people fail to meet that. The British Medical Association (BMA) estimates that poor diets cause 70,000 premature deaths every year. British doctors are urging for an extra 20% tax on sugar-based drinks to fight the country's rising obesity epidemic. Doctors said that a tax of at least 20% is needed to deter customers which would amount a two-liter bottle to shoot up from 1.85 pounds (about $2) to 2.22 pounds (about $3). The study suggests, "The extra revenue should be used to make fruit and vegetables cheaper so that we create an environment where dietary choices default to healthy options."

BMA doctor Shree Datta said, "I think it is a massive problem illustrated by the fact that obesity is increasing. We're looking at 30% of the Britain's population being obese by the year 2030, a large extent of that is due to the amount of sugar we're actually consuming without realizing."

Source-IANS