The Government should implement sugar taxes to reduce obesity

Children are falling prey to diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes etc.
which was unheard of a few years ago. Studies have indicated that it is due to the
unhealthy lifestyle and eating habits. Coupled with lack of exercise, this is the
leading cause of early setting of lifestyle diseases. Obesity is a direct cause of all
this. The incidence of obesity is a direct consequence of sugary drinks to which
people are addicted. It is because of these reasons; more and more countries
have decided to impose taxes on Sugar- Sweetened Beverages (SSB).
Obesity causes laziness and decreases productivity as the person feels tired and
prone to diseases. Many studies have pointed to a correlation between obesity
and life-threatening diseases. 2016 World Health Organization’s Report of the
Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity had recommended many measures to
address obesity in children. ‘The first recommendation was to: implement
comprehensive programs that promote the intake of healthy foods and reduce
the intake of unhealthy foods and sugar-sweetened beverages by children and
adolescents, which includes a tax on SSBs.’(WHO,2016). It is because of the strong
link between obesity and sugar intake. There is a direct link between the price
and the consumption of these foodstuffs and drinks. ‘Using data from a single
year of the Nielsen Homescan panel, a 20% and 40% tax on SSB was expected to
reduce weight by 0.32 kg and 0.59 kg per year, respectively, while generating
considerable revenue.’ (Finkelstein EA; et al. (2010)).
The idea of taxing Sugar- Sweetened Beverages is not new. Many countries have
experimented with this, and the results are encouraging for these countries. The
first one to do so was Mexico in 2014. These countries have reported a decrease
in the incidence of obesity in children and women. These measures have led the
planners to believe that a tax can lead to a massive saving because less obesity
means less spending on life style diseases by the Government and the individuals
together. It can help in diverting these funds to more spending on health
programs by the Governments. ‘Positive conclusions from numerous studies led
review authors to conclude that SSB taxation could reduce obesity.’ (Escobar, MA
(2013)).
All this discussion leads to the conclusion that tax on SSB’s can lead to an
increased allocation by the Governments for improving the health of people. This
may also result in an increase in revenues for the Government. On the individual
level, it helps the people to remain fit and thereby contribute more towards their
work and GDP. In India, the Government imposed a sin tax on such products and
advocated the ban on the sale of these products in school canteens.

References:
1. World Health Organization. Report of commission on ending childhood
obesity. Geneva: WHO;2016.
http://www.aho.afro.who.int/networks .Accessed on March13,2019.
2. Finkelstein EA, Zhen C, Nonnemaker J, Todd JE (2010). Impact of targeted
beverage taxes on higher- and lower-income households. Arch Intern Med.
2010;170(22):2028–34.
3. Cabrera Escobar MA, Veerman JL, Tollman SM, Bertram MY, Hofman KJ.
(2013).Evidence that a tax on sugar sweetened beverages reduces the
obesity rate: a meta-analysis. BMC Public Health.