The WHO says if governments tax products like sugary drinks, they can reduce suffering and save lives. Photo/AP
The UN health agency has recommended countries use tax policies to increase the price of sugary drinks like soft drinks, sport drinks and even 100 per cent fruit juices as a way to fight obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
The World Health Organisation, in a statement timed for
World Obesity Day, said the prevalence of obesity worldwide more than doubled between 1980 and 2014, when nearly 40 per cent of people globally were overweight.
The WHO said tax policies that led to a 20 per cent increase in the retail prices of sugary drinks would result in a proportional reduction in consumption.
According to the New Zealand Ministry of Health a third of our children are overweight or obese. One in nine children aged 2-14 in this country are obese, with a further two in nine or 22 per cent overweight.
One in three adults (aged 15+) is obese and another one in three is overweight.
