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Public Health England has published a report which focuses on interventions which aim to reduce sugar consumption.
The SMC produced a Factsheet on sugar and health which is available here: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/sugar-and-health/
Dr Ian Johnson, Emeritus Fellow, Institute of Food Research, said:
“I am delighted that this important report on the implementation and benefits of a reduction in the nation’s sugar consumption has now been published. Public Health England have delivered a rigorous and well argued response to the evidence provided by SACN earlier this year. Sugar reduction is not the only route to the management of overweight and obesity in England, but it is of great importance. I hope the government will now respond in a brave and timely manner so that we can begin to tackle one of the most serious health problems of our time.”
Prof. Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine, University of Glasgow, said:
“This is a helpful report which dissects ways to lessen sugar intake in the UK. It rightly suggests a tax on sugary drinks could be part of a package of measures which could help lesson sugar intake but is careful to point out that other simpler measures would be more effective. The question is how to force implementation of such measures and whether legislative actions are needed. It is hard to see the food and drinks industry taking it upon themselves to make such changes. Importantly, whilst cutting refined sugar will have wider benefits such as on dental health, to tackle obesity we must do much, much more. In fact, plentiful evidence still points towards excess fat as a major contributor to excess calories (more so than sugar) so we cannot become distracted by this ‘sugar battle.’ Equally, ready access to cheap calorific foods is pervasive and tackling such issues will be difficult. These are difficult issues. Cutting excess calories requires a broader approach and will take many years but we do have to start somewhere, and ultimately the government needs to take the lead.”
Prof. Richard Tiffin, Director of the Centre for Food Security, University of Reading, said:
“I welcome the publication of this report. Reducing sugar in the diet is important for health, particularly among children, and this report contains a range of good recommendations that, taken together, should help achieve this. However, I am still unconvinced about the evidence for a tax on sweetened drinks.
“The report highlights the impact of soft drinks taxes in France, America, and elsewhere, but does not put much emphasis on economic analysis. While such taxes do encourage high consumers of sugary drinks to buy less, the calories that come from soft drinks are relatively small, meaning that an individual’s overall consumption of calories does not fall by much.
“In a study I was involved in (http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6189), we found that a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would only reduce obesity rates by between 1 and 2%. This is a small benefit for a tax that hits poor people hardest, and could lead people to making other unhealthy choices in their weekly shop instead.
“When speaking to the select committee this week, Jamie Oliver used an excellent visual device to highlight how much sugar there is in soft drinks. I am convinced that this kind of approach, forcing people to confront the amount of sugar in their food and drinks, is more effective for encouraging people to change their habits than the comparatively blunt instrument of government-imposed taxes.”
Dr Julian Hamilton-Shield, Professor of Diabetes and Metabolic Endocrinology, University of Bristol, said:
“As a doctor who has spent over 15 years treating morbid childhood obesity and its consequences, I welcome this report that targets a series of levers designed to reduce sugar consumption in the whole population but more importantly children. Latest National Child Measurement Programme figures demonstrate a rise in obesity and overweight prevalence in year six (11 year-olds) over the last few years. I especially welcome the suggestions for reducing price promotion of sugar containing foods, reduced targetting of children through advertising and the suggested taxation of sugar containing beverages which should be at the higher level suggested of 20%. No one can really doubt the harm sugar containing drinks do to children: they rot their teeth and likely make them obese and at risk of later type 2 diabetes. If a tax is needed to reduce sugar consumption, I am right behind it. No one complains about tobacco taxation: sugar should be treated the same way.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sugar-reduction-from-evidence-into-action
Declared interests
Dr Ian Johnson: is an Emeritus Fellow at the Institute of Food Research, and was an external member of the SACN Working Group on Carbohydrates and Health. He is an academic member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the British Nutrition Foundation. He currently holds no grants and has no commercial affiliations.
Prof. Naveed Sattar declares that he has no relevant interests.
Prof. Richard Tiffin: “I am Science Director of Agrimetrics, a government-funded data centre that works with businesses across the food system. I have been involved for many years in UK research council and industry-funded studies into the effects of taxation on patterns of consumption, including one study that was funded by a soft drinks manufacturers’ association.”
Dr Julian Hamilton-Shield: “I have no conflicts to declare.”