Sweet tax, a global shift to curb sugar consumption

Published 2024년 10월 30일

Tridge summary

The article examines the role of sugar in the global obesity epidemic and the implementation of sugar taxes as a strategy to curb sugar consumption and promote healthier choices. It highlights the mixed effectiveness of these taxes, with some countries like Norway seeing positive results, while others like Samoa continue to face challenges. Studies, including those from the JAMA Health Forum, show significant reductions in sugary beverage consumption in cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco after soda taxes were introduced. Despite industry resistance and concerns about the impact on low-income individuals, sugar taxes are seen as a valuable tool for improving public health, combating obesity, and generating revenue for healthcare and social programs.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

There was a moment in history when sugar was so valuable that people locked it up in a "sugar safe". Sanskrit literature from ancient India, written between 1500-500 BC, offered the first documentation of the cultivation of sugarcane. However, the way people view this sweet, addictive carbohydrate has changed over the years. Today, sugar addiction in seen as the main trigger behind the global obesity epidemic, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammation, and even Alzheimer’s disease. Certain cancers (oesophagus, pancreas, colon and rectum, breast, kidney, thyroid, and gallbladder) have also all been linked to obesity. In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).An estimated 184,000 deaths and 8.5 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide were attributable to sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption, as per the World Bank's 2010 estimates. As a result, sugar taxes are on the rise. We ...

Source: Gulfnews