Taxing unhealthy food helps cut obesity, says global study

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Decreasing health issues

Recently, Mexico has taken an extraordinary step toward decreasing health issues by implementing taxes on foods that can be categorized as unhealthy. This move is aimed at tackling the rising obesity-related issues in the younger generation.

HFSS will help the government

They are having multiple health issues due to obesity and unhealthy food. The idea of putting taxes on foods that have high levels of fat, salt, or sugar HFSS will help the government minimize the sale, consumption, and purchase of these foods, which fall under the category of unhealthy food. University-published, assignment help UK, peer-reviewed analysis has also discussed the same consequences that can happen due to having high taxes on unhealthy food. This analysis was published by the Imperial College Business School.

Lower consumption

According to the claim made by Imperial College Business School, lowering health concerns by combining subsidies on healthy food and imposing higher taxes on unhealthy food will lead us to a situation where obesity and diseases are less prevalent. Research also highlights that.

What if we have high taxes on HFSS? This will lead to a path of lower consumption of such foods, which come under the category of unhealthy. Consequently, this will take us on the path of reduced obesity, and the lower-income group can benefit significantly.(Taxing Unhealthy Food Helps Cut Obesity, Says Global Study, 2024)

Implemented high taxes on HFSS

This research not just analyzed only Mexico; they also explained and explored 20 other worldwide countries to see how global findings can indicate a new beginning. They analyzed New zealand, Singapore, the Netherlands, Hungary, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and much more. They furthermore, reviewed how this impacts globally.

If they try to implement taxes on HFSS food, this will contribute to better health and a reduction in obesity. The emphasis conducted by this research has put forward the idea that only 16 countries have implemented high taxes on such foods.

Dropped drastically

Example of Mexico: they have put 8% taxes on non-essential foods, which have higher energy content. These include items such as chips, chocolate, sugary syrup, and the great thing about these taxes is that they have seen a 18% reduction in sales in supermarkets and retail shops.

Research highlighting how the lower-income group was phenomenally high consumers of such foods beforehand. Now, due to taxes, their consumption has dropped drastically, which can be a great beginning for a healthier path.

Enhance the quality of life and health

Dr Elisa Pineda, who is the Imperial College research fellow at the Institute of George Health in the United Kingdom, has suggested that their research is going to be an extremely  phenomenal step for countries in creating health policies and reducing the burden of diseases. They aim to enhance the quality of life and health of people by taxing unhealthy foods and providing subsidies on healthy food.(Jelley, 2024)

Win-win situation for any country.

Research can be substantial for the United Kingdom where obesity is one of the biggest growing problems in the country. If we take the data from 1993, we have seen a rise in the rate of 53% of obesity in adults in the United Kingdom.On the other hand, if we calculate the data for 2021, we find that 64% of obesity has risen. If we look at the global rankings analysis, we find that the United Kingdom is ranked 50th for male obesity. On the other hand, when it comes to females in the city, they are ranked 87th, and this becomes a burden for the NHS, costing 6.5 billion dollars every year.(Taxing Unhealthy Food Helps Cut Obesity, Says Global Study, 2024)

The research, a publication from another finding, has also talked about how if we put a higher tax on HFSS foods, that fund can contribute to providing subsidies on healthy alternatives. It can be a win-win situation for any country.

include calorie labeling

Recently, essay help UK the government has taken action, including military measures, to maintain good health. They have allowed restaurants and takeaways to include calorie labeling. They also put restrictions on where food can be placed in supermarkets. There is going to be a sugar test put on those items which utilize high levels of sugar, such as soft drinks. This initiative has also seen wonderful results, with a 46% reduction in the sale of products that utilize high sugar content from 2015 to 2022

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