In a bid to tackle the nation’s spiralling obesity epidemic, Australian health experts and government officials are debating the value of introducing a sugar tax.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), two in three Australian adults, and one in four Australian children are overweight or obese and this number is continuing to rise. The risks of obesity include a heightened propensity for developing chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and Type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Australia (DA) cites there are approximately two million Australians at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Unlike Type 1 diabetes that is an auto-immune condition which affects the body’s ability to produce insulin, Type 2 diabetes is a largely lifestyle disease caused by inertia and a poor diet.
Sugars, in particularly sugary drinks, are considered a major contributor to an inadequate diet, which can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Research suggests one can of soft drink a day (600mL) for a year equates to 23 kilos of sugar and an average 6.75 kg weight gain per annum. So it’s no surprise that the sugar tax debate has gained substantial momentum, seen with the UK’s announcement of their plan to introduce a tax on sugary soft drinks in April 2018. This tax, which is set to apply to the total sugar content above 5 grams per 100 mL for each sugary drink) was created in response to mounting pressure from ‘anti-sugar’ campaigners, including celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, who described the step to CNN as “a profound move that will ripple around the world.”
Yet, despite widespread support and celebrity endorsement, many experts argue the introduction of a sugar tax is bitter sweet, and will fail to solve our nation’s obesity problems.
Professor Stephen Colagiuri, from the University of Sydney’s Boden Institute told the ABC, “A sugar tax will clearly not be the only solution to the problem… but there has never been a successful public health intervention which has not involved some form of legislation and regulation.”
Despite the old age, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” perhaps limiting our sugar intake may serve as a more appropriate, long-term obesity prevention strategy?