Obesity has become a problem among young people after the introduction of the soda tax.
A new study conducted by the University of Cambridge estimates that the consumer tax has significantly reduced obesity rates among sixth-grade girls in the UK, with an estimated 5,000 fewer cases.
In 2018, the UK introduced a sugary drink tax to encourage manufacturers to lower the sugar content of their sodas. It is reported that 1 in 5 children aged 10-11 are facing obesity.
Over 14 million children in the United States are classified as obese. This condition is associated with a variety of health complications, including type II diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, and respiratory problems.
“We urgently need to find ways to address the growing number of obese children, or risk them facing serious health problems,” said lead author Dr. Nina Rogers. says. “This is one of the reasons she has introduced a tax on the UK soft drink industry, and the evidence so far is encouraging.”
In the study, published Thursday in PLOS Medicine, researchers looked at obesity levels in UK children from 2014 to 2020 and compared changes before and after the population tax.
Since its introduction, there has been a relative decrease of 8%, showing the difference between the estimated obesity in the absence of the sugar tax and the actual obesity rate 19 months after the law was passed. .
Specifically, a sharp decline in obesity rates occurred among girls aged approximately 10 or 11 years. In short, the tax appeared to prevent 5,234 cases of obesity annually, the report shows. In fact, an estimated 9% reduction was seen in the “underprivileged areas” of the country, where students consumed relatively high rates of sugary soda.
“It’s the first time we’ve shown that it likely helps prevent thousands of children from becoming obese each year,” Dr. Rogers said of the sugar tax.
“But it’s not a simple picture, as it was mostly older girls who benefited,” she added. The facts matter and are a step towards reducing the health inequalities they face.”
Gene Adams, a professor of Cambridge studies and senior author, said their team’s findings “make sense” given that taxes reduce the amount of sugar in soft drinks.
“We know that drinking too many sugary drinks leads to obesity and that the UK soft drink tax has reduced the amount of sugar in soft drinks available in the UK, so it is unlikely that we will see a reduction in obesity cases as well. It makes sense,” she said, noting that she found it only applies to girls.
When analyzing obesity rates in 4- and 5-year-olds, the researchers found no difference. Researchers gave several explanations for why. Young children consume less overall, or the fact that fruit juices are not included in the tax.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear why obesity rates fell only among girls, but researchers hypothesized that food and drink advertising, which tends to target boys more than girls, may have played a role. I’m standing
While other studies have touted sugar taxes as an efficient way to reduce obesity rates, other studies have argued that they adversely affect soft drink manufacturers and their employees.
However, people who look after their hairline as well as their waistline may be less likely to grab a can. It became clear that it was possible.
If you’re health conscious, don’t touch Diet Coke just yet. Zero sugar doesn’t mean zero harm. Studies show that sugar-free alternatives may increase mortality risk.