Scientists Push for Sugar Tax

A new study suggests that sugar may be more harmful to the body than alcohol.

In an essay posted on Nature, a weekly international science journal, researchers believe that any food item containing added sugars should be taxed by the government.

Based on the consumption of low-cost, highly-processed food, researchers stated that 30% more people in the world are obese compared to the past. While some may think obesity is the root cause of non-communicable diseases, that is not the case.

Added sugar is defined as sweetener that contains fructose, which is added to the food in processing. People around the world are consuming more than 500 calories per day from added sugar alone.

The United Nations mainly targets tobacco, alcohol, and diet as risks for disease. Those risks are regulated, but food is left out. This is a more complex issue since food is something that is required on a daily basis while alcohol and tobacco are not.

Along with the fact that sugary foods can induce diseases associated with metabolic problems, they also include dependence producing properties that can lead to abuse of the foods.

In order to curb this issue, the authors proposed that there should be taxes on sugary products such as soda, juice, chocolate milk, and cereal. They also suggested that sales of these products should be limited during school operation, or that an age limit should be set for the purchasing of drinks with added sugars.