Tax, sugar coated

Today (Friday), a tax on sugar has come into force in the UK, alongside levies on other unhealthy products.

A series of studies by medical journal The Lancet on the burden of "lifestyle diseases" - cancers, diabetes and heart disease - caused by diet and activities rather than hereditary found that sugar and unhealthy products contribute to around 38 million deaths worldwide.

The Lancet taskforce which carried out the studies considered that lifestyle diseases are "a major cause and consequence of poverty" affecting a higher number of "poor households".

Made more likely by alcohol, smoking and obesity, lifestyle diseases can seriously impact ability to work, increase the risk of a shorter lifespan, and, the studies claim, result in an economic impact. Taxing unhealthy products, thereby encouraging healthier consumer choices, can "produce major health gains... without disproportionately harming the poorest in society".

Obesity rates have risen steadily over the past 10 years but soft drinks manufacturers dispute The Lancet's claims, saying there is "no evidence anywhere in the world" that the introduction of taxes will reduce obesity rates.

Drinks (fizzy, squashes and juice) with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml increase in price, around 14p per 500ml. Many drinks manufacturers are reformulating product recipes to avoid paying the tax - Fanta has already reduced sugar content by 30% - but some, such as Pepsi and Coca-Cola originals will remain the same, and prices will increase as a result.

Whether you believe The Lancet or the soft drinks manufacturers, the nub of the matter is, if you choose high-sugar content drinks, you can expect to pay more from today. If your preference is based on the potential impact to your health and wealth, then the government will consider that the sugar tax has been a success.

The reality is, of course, that you will choose, pay and consume according to your preference, as is your right. However, to combat the rising health and economic impacts, we need to address other contributory factors, such as inactivity, smoking and stress as well. 

What's next I wonder? A sofa-tax?