theguardian.com
UK Health Groups Urge Food Taxes to Tackle Obesity
Health groups in the UK are pushing for taxes on unhealthy foods to combat obesity, citing the success of the sugar tax and the need for bolder government action.
English
United Kingdom
HealthLifestyleUkPublic HealthGovernment PolicyTaxationObesityFood Industry
Diabetes UkWorld Cancer Research FundFood FoundationRecipe For ChangeFood And Drink Federation
Rachel ReevesWes StreetingHenry DimblebyAnna TaylorJamie O'halloran
- What are the potential benefits of the proposed tax?
- The proposed tax is expected to generate billions for the Treasury and improve public health by encouraging manufacturers to reformulate products with less sugar and salt.
- What is the government's current stance on the issue?
- The government is reviewing the possibility of extending the sugar tax to other sugary products, and a 10-year health plan is expected in spring 2025. Previous voluntary reformulation efforts have yielded minimal results.
- What is the public opinion on taxing unhealthy foods?
- Polling data reveals that two-thirds of the UK public supports such taxes, provided the revenue funds children's health initiatives; 74% feel food companies are dishonest about their products' health impact.
- What is the main proposal put forward by the health groups?
- Dozens of health and children's groups urged the UK government to implement taxes on foods high in salt or sugar, similar to the existing sugar tax on soft drinks.
- What are the opposing viewpoints on the effectiveness of voluntary reformulation?
- While food manufacturers claim they are already improving their products' nutritional value, critics argue that government intervention is necessary to achieve substantial change, particularly considering that only 34% of sales from the world's 30 largest food companies are from healthier products.