Sugar tax: what is the impact on individual health

If you like swigging sugary drinks, you might get a bit of a surprise next time you go to buy one, sugar tax has now come into force in the UK.

The scientists have shown that sugary drinks lead to weight gain and diabetes. Figures show that 58% of women, 68% of men and 34% of 10- to 11-year-olds in the UK are classed as overweight or obese.

How to reduce sugar?

UK sugar tax aims to incentivize sugar reduction in drinks. Because it is imposed on drinks over a certain sugar threshold, manufacturers have the option of lowering sugar levels to avoid the tax. This way, the government is sending a clear message to the industry: get your act together and get sugar down.

Will it change what people buy?

The UK government has not made changing people’s dietary habits an explicit aim of the tax. But evidence from elsewhere does suggest people buy less when a tax comes into force. 

The lasting measure of success

Getting people talking, even arguing, about the tax is also an important part in all of this. Is it fair, as it affects people who are poor more than the rich? Why do we need what is essentially a punitive measure to get industry to act? If we are against the idea, then what else would work better and can we prove it?

An important measure of the success of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, then, will be if it contributes to changing these norms – in industry and society. And if it does, it will help to contribute towards a healthier society and healthier people.