The NHS is to impose its own sugar tax in hospitals and health centres in England to help deal with the problem of obesity. An estimated 2/3 of adults in Britain are now overweight and bad diet has overtaken smoking as the biggest single cause of lifestyle-linked avoidable illnesses.
Simon Stevens the CEO has proposed a 20% tax on all sugary foods and drinks in NHS cafes to be introduced in 2020. He also said that MPs should take similar action and NHS staff should have a responsibility and lead by example. The tax, which will initially be on sugary drinks is expected to raise £20-40 million a year.
The boss of Unilever, one of the world’s biggest food manufacturers, has struck back saying that a sugar tax is a too simple solution that will not solve Britain’s obesity problem. Unilever make popular snacks such as Magnum, Ben and Jerrys and Cornetto ice-creams. Although Unilever oppose the sugar tax, they have pledged to reduce the calories in their single-serve ice creams and reduce the physical size of them.
I think big food manufacturers should be more responsible for the content of their products. I’ve been using an app on my iphone that scans the label of food products which gives the sugar content. I have been shocked by the amount of sugar in foods that you just wouldn’t think of having such a high sugar content, let alone have any sugar in them. I would welcome a sugar tax, it helps the public become more aware of what we eat. As a healthcare professional it’s our duty to give you the facts. At the end of the day it’s your choice but you need to be able to make an informed decision with all the facts to make that choice.
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