Britain, the most obesity-plagued country in Western Europe, has suddenly wised up to one smart solution: a soda tax. Starting in 2018, the chancellor of the exchequer announced Wednesday, Britain will impose a levy on the total sugar content of drinks – a measure the government had long opposed.
This gives beverage makers ample time to change their recipes and otherwise prepare.
And that’s fine; the tax is not meant to hammer business but to change consumer behavior by reminding people that consuming too much sugar is dangerous. That’s principally because it can cause obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
This message is especially urgent in Britain, where the incidence of obesity has tripled in the past 30 years.
Public Health England estimates that nearly a quarter of adults and 19 percent of 10- and 11-year-olds are now obese. Obesity and its related ills –- including cardiovascular disease – cost the National Health Service roughly £5.1 billion ($7.1 billion) a year.
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