UK Sugar Tax

The issue of a sugar tax has cropped up in the mainstream British media again. With the nations health getting steadily worse and more worryingly, childhood obesity on the rise, the public health chiefs are looking at ways of reducing the problem.

Thankfully, the spotlight has now moved away from dietary fat as the bad guy. Whilst fat isn’t out of the woods completely, public health officials are now finally listening to the health and fitness professionals who for years have been saying that good quality, natural fats are actually healthy and not something to be demonised.

The issue of sugar being a bigger danger to health than fat is now starting to gain publicity and momentum – even developed countries are starting to look at the lower carb, better quality food advice, with evidence being Sweden changing their public health policy.

Is a sugar tax the answer?

A fat tax has been proposed before – not with any real seriousness, but the seed has been planted whereby the idea can be developed and discussed. I am not in favour of a fat tax, but I am in favour of a tax on foodstuffs that directly contribute to obesity. In the UK anyone who buys alcohol or tobacco pays a tax, so why not sugar?

I have no idea about whether or not on a macro scale raising taxes on alcohol or tobacco has cut consumption, but I believe pricing sugar higher would have a knock-on effect, both in terms of the production of high sugar food items and the consumption. If you price foods higher then they are less likely to sell – it’s basic economics.

It’s not the answer alone though.

Creating a sugar tax is one thing – you have made the sweet foods less appealing. It has to be balanced however by making the healthier options more appealing. A reduction in tax or even a government subsidy would help the issue. By actively promoting the consumption of local, seasonal meat, fruit and vegetables AND making them cheaper, a solution to the cheap, sugary foods is being put in place.

There is an argument from many that healthy foods are more expensive (which I have argued against), so in order to crush this perception once and for all you have to make sure that the real healthy options are so cheap they can’t be ignored.

Couple cheaper, healthier foods with a solid education programme that teaches people how to understand nutrition and food prep/cooking and the seeds have been sown to improve the health of generations to come. This in turn improves the health of the nation, reducing NHS pressure and making for a fitter, healthier and more active population.

The are economical benefits too. By making local, seasonal meat, vegetables and fruit more price competitive we are reducing the requirement to import foods from abroad. Money would be spent in local communities and jobs created as a result. OK, as a nation we may have to pay more for the sub-par, out of season foods we import year round but that’s a small price to pay.

What do you think about the idea of a sugar tax? Think about the wider effects – could this be a good thing, or are we merely making life more expensive for those of us who have a handle on our sugar intake?

I’d be interested to hear your thoughts…