Excessive sugar consumption is known to be associated with many negative
health effects. These effects include obesity and a host of chronic health
conditions such as arthritis, asthma, depression, diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, high blood pressure, and cancer. In America, they decided to influence
the amount of sugar consumed through taxation.
According to the study, taxing sugar on a range of foods would have a greater
impact on reducing sugar and calorie intake than imposing similar measures on
specific foods, such as soft drinks. Ingredient taxes are more effective
because they target an ingredient found in many foods and therefore prevent
people from substituting a product. Scholars have compared how specific taxes
on foods — like soda and packaged meals — and taxes on ingredients like sugar,
found in various foods. Researchers did not distinguish between natural sugars
found in fruits, for example, and additives in cakes, cookies, drinks, etc. To
study the impact of taxes on sugar, a simulation was created using a
statistical model based on one hundred and twenty-three million food purchases.
in US grocery stores. The researchers calculated how consumers would react to
price changes in categories such as baked goods, fruits and vegetables. This
made it possible to model the impact of various types of taxes on food
consumption. The main finding is that ingredient taxes have a much larger
impact on nutrition than product taxes. According to a study, a 20% tax on
sugar consumption reduces calorie intake by more than 18%. Meanwhile, a 20% tax
on foods, especially soda, reduces calorie intake by about 5%. The use of
nutrient-related taxes can have an important effect in encouraging consumers to
eat healthier. In recent years, nine US municipalities have passed taxes on
sugary sodas as well as sweetened drinks that have artificial or natural
non-caloric sweeteners. These drinks are extremely popular in the US; According
to scientists, from 2011 to 2014, 63% of youth and 49% of adults across the
country drank such drinks. Studies show that a sharp increase in sugar
consumption among US residents contributed to an increase in obesity. In the
late 1970s, the national obesity rate was over 14.5%, and by the early 1990s it
had increased by more than 22%, and today more than two-thirds of US residents
– 36% – are obese, which affects their health and well-being, including having
a strong impact on people with diseases such as bronchial asthma.