French sugar tax fights obesity

A sugar tax on "alcopop" drinks in France - leading to a big fall in sales - shows regulating the sales of unhealthy food and drinks can be effective, a visiting French lawmaker has told local MPs.

Parliament's health select committee is conducting an inquiry into obesity and yesterday heard from the Vice-President of France's Parliament, Yves Bur.

Mr Bur, a representative of French President Jacques Chirac's conservative UMP party, has championed several initiatives aimed at cracking down on unhealthy habits, including banning snack machines in schools and a sugar tax on alcopop drinks.

He said the tax on alcopop drinks, which are predominantly marketed at young people, appeared to stop sales growth of sugar-rich drinks in its tracks.

Over 2003 and 2004 sales increased 10-fold, but a year after the tax was introduced sales dropped 40 per cent.

Mr Bur said the ban on snack-vending machines in schools was also effective. He later said New Zealand should institute a similar move.

His comments were backed by the New Zealand Medical Association, which told the committee it supported a ban on school vending machines.

Schools should also be encouraged to move away from selling junk food in their canteens.

Mr Bur said another proposed French initiative was requiring snack food companies to put health warnings on advertisements aired in peak children's television viewing times.

If they failed to do this they would have to pay a 1.5 per cent tax on their advertising budget.

The initiative was stalled at present while lawmakers and industry groups debated the proposed wording of the health warnings.

Mr Bur said it was important to be firm with the food industry and its powerful corporate lobby.

"We must say to these industries that marketing has its own limits specifically when children are concerned and we need to have very clear information."

He said a long-term campaign aimed at changing attitudes was necessary to combat obesity.

If action was not taken now in countries with a moderate burden of obesity, then in 15 years they could find themselves in the United States' position where the problem was almost too big to tackle.

Green MP and health committee chairwoman Sue Kedgley yesterday reiterated her call for a ban on junk food being sold from school canteens.

She said new research published by the Obesity Action Coalition suggested that unhealthy food was contributing to obesity and reducing children's ability to concentrate in the classroom.

"This research shows that poor nutrition is often linked to short attention spans, disruptiveness, and other behavioural and emotional issues which can all have a seriously detrimental effect on children's learning."

In its written submission to the committee the Medical Association also called for a ban on TV ads of unhealthy food in children's peak viewing times.

It said New Zealand had one of the highest rates of child obesity in the world and the saturation of junk food advertising in children's viewing times was growing.

It said a taskforce spanning several Government departments was also necessary to ensure activities like walking and cycling were encouraged in towns and cities.

- NZPA