Sugar tax could save up to 16 billion euros
According to a study, a sugar tax on soft drinks in Germany alone would save up to 16 billion euros over the next two decades and prevent numerous diseases. "A soft drink tax in Germany would have significant positive effects," summarizes the research team from the Technical University of Munich and the British University of Liverpool in the journal "PLOS Medicine". In all simulated variants, less sugar would be consumed and illnesses would be less frequent. "This would reduce economic costs and relieve the burden on the healthcare system."
The World Health Organization recommends a special tax of at least 20 percent on sugary drinks in order to reduce the population's sugar consumption and its health consequences. Many countries have already introduced tax measures to combat the consumption of sugary drinks or foods. Instead, Germany relies on a voluntary commitment by the beverage industry - with moderate results so far, according to studies.
Effect depends on the taxation variant
The study from Munich now shows that the desired effect of a tax in Germany would indeed occur and the risk of obesity and illnesses would decrease. However, it makes a difference whether the tax aims to reduce soft drink consumption in general or to bring about recipe changes.
According to international studies, if the tax is levied regardless of the sugar content, this would primarily lead to a reduced demand for soft drinks. If, on the other hand, the tax is based on the amount of sugar, the recipes of the drinks would also be changed.
"According to the simulation, a flat 20% surcharge on soft drink prices would reduce sugar consumption by one gram per person per day," said the researchers, describing the potential effects in Germany. In the group of men aged between 30 and 49, the estimates suggest that this would be almost three grams per day.
"A 30 percent reduction in sugar in recipes, as seen in the UK after the introduction of the graduated manufacturer levy, would have an even greater impact," explained the team of experts. This would reduce per capita consumption in Germany by 2.3 grams per day, and by as much as 6.1 grams among 30 to 49-year-old men.
Lower costs due to sick days and incapacity to work
According to the team's calculations, there would be significantly fewer cases of obesity and cardiovascular disease with both taxation variants. The expected effects on type 2 diabetes are particularly large: "According to our models, up to 244,100 people would develop type 2 diabetes later or not at all over the next 20 years as a result of taxation," explained Karl Emmert-Fees, first author of the study.
A tax on sugared drinks would therefore mean fewer treatments would be necessary and the costs due to sick days and incapacity to work would also fall. For the period from 2023 to 2043, the team has calculated economic savings of around 16 billion euros, including around 4 billion euros in healthcare costs, with a graduated manufacturer levy. "With a 20 percent tax, the total would still be around 9.5 billion euros."
What's more, the calculations did not take into account people under the age of 30 because most of the diseases modeled occur primarily in the second half of life. However, soft drink consumption is highest in the teenage years, explained Emmert-Fees. "Accordingly, the average reduction in sugar consumption would be even more drastic and the positive health effect even greater if we took younger people into account."
Only recently, a study published in the journal "BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health" showed that the sugar tax in the UK has a positive impact on the dental health of young people. According to the study, the number of under-18s who had a tooth extracted due to tooth decay fell by twelve percent within two years following the introduction of the tax in 2018.
- Implementing a sugar tax on soft drinks in line with the World Health Organization's recommendation could significantly contribute to reducing nutrition-related health issues, such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases, and consequently save millions in healthcare costs and decreased work incapacitation due to illnesses.
- Taxation of sugary drinks or foods not only reduces their consumption but also impacts the food industry, leading to reformulations of recipes to lower sugar content, as observed in the UK after the implementation of a graduated manufacturer levy, which decreased per capita sugar consumption by 2.3 grams per day.
- Finances play an essential role in promoting health and nutrition. A tax on sugary drinks or foods could provide significant funds to reinforce existing programs in science, nutrition, and healthcare, leading to further advances in understanding the relationship between diet and health, and devising preventive measures and treatments.
Source: www.dpa.com
