The Upcoming
  • Cinema & Tv
    • Movie reviews
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Show reviews
  • Music
    • Live music
  • Food & Drinks
    • News & Features
    • Restaurant & bar reviews
    • Interviews & Recipes
  • Theatre
  • Art
  • Travel & Lifestyle
  • Literature
  • Fashion & Beauty
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Current affairsNewsScience, Health & Technology

Doctors call for soft drink tax in attempts to halt obesity

Doctors call for soft drink tax in attempts to halt obesity
18 February 2013
Molly Kersey
Avatar
Molly Kersey
18 February 2013

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AOMRC), which represents the majority of doctors in the UK, has called for further taxes on sugary, fizzy drinks in order to tackle high rates of obesity.

Doctors are requesting that the price of soft drinks be raised by at least 20% to go some way in combating the worrying levels of obesity in the UK. 

Roughly a quarter of adults are classed as obese, with a third of children now leaving primary school overweight. This figure has been predicted to double by 2050. 

Sugary drinks have come under fire due to the fact they contain a large number of calories, and health campaigners argue that a further tax being put on them would send “a powerful message”.   

Charles Powell, Campaigns Director for the charity Sustain, said: “The only benefit of most sugary drinks to children and adults alike is the excess calories they provide, and that’s not a benefit because we actually have an obesity crisis in this country.” 

After an inquest which lasted around a year, The AOMRC has drawn up a plan to reduce obesity in the UK. This plan includes the furthering of taxes on soft drinks and a limited number of fast food outlets being allowed to operate near schools and leisure centres, among other ideas. 

Professor Terence Stephenson, chairman of the academy, said the report points out steps that need to be taken against obesity “before the problem becomes worse and the NHS can no longer cope”.  

He said the 20% tax increase on soft drinks as part of this resolution was appropriate because they are “the ultimate bad food” full of “useless calories”. 

This report has caused controversy. Gavin Partington, Director General at British Soft Drinks Association, was against this idea of raising soft drink taxes. 

He said: “It is completely unfair to target one set of products like this. The truth is that obesity is a complex problem with many contributing factors.”

The Food and Drink Federation called the report a “damp squib” that added “little to an important debate”.

Molly Kersey

Related Items

More in Current Affairs

Women of Ireland have rolled over for long enough: The 8th and the long walk to abortion rights

Emma Kiely
Read More

Changes to expect during menopause

The editorial unit
Read More

Why Equity Linked Savings Schemes is a preferred tax saving?

The editorial unit
Read More

How the world’s top designers would rebrand political parties

The editorial unit
Read More

Royal baby furore: Proof that the British monarchy is still popular?

Eoin O’Sullivan-Harris
Read More

World Mental Health Day 2018: Raising awareness and combating stigma

The editorial unit
Read More

Seven political personalities you should know about

The editorial unit
Read More

Donald Trump: An enemy of the arts?

The editorial unit
Read More

Trump’s fortune: Where did the money come from?

The editorial unit
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Albert Adrià reopens Enigma on 7 June as a “fun-dining” restaurant and cocktail bar
    Food & Drinks
  • Paolo Nutini at the 100 Club
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Crimes of the Future: Three new clips from David Cronenberg’s dystopian body horror film
    Cannes
  • The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Plan 75
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • November (Novembre)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Forever Young (Les Amandiers)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • “Ruben is wonderful at picking holes in our behaviour and our egos”: Woody Harrelson, Ruben Östlundand and cast at the Triangle of Sadness press conference
    Cannes Film Festival 2022
  • Summer Scars (Nos Cérémonies)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim)
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Emergency
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Men
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Triangle of Sadness
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
  • Aftersun
    ★★★★★
    Cannes
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why
With the support from:
International driving license

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

UK found to be the most attractive tax system
Journalist strike hits iconic BBC programming