WHEN it comes to the issue of obesity, there is no shortage of statistics to show just how serious a problem it is. In Scotland, nearly two-thirds of adults are categorised as overweight - and a quarter of those are obese. Around 3,500 primary one pupils who started school in 2013-14 were classed as clinically or severely obese, accounting for around one in 15 children of that age. The economic cost of obesity for the country is estimated to be as much as £4.6 billion every year, taking into account costs associated with associated health conditions, increased sickness absence and premature death.
It is therefore understandable why campaigners are calling for drastic action to be taken and a tax on sugar might seem one sensible route to take. It is a suggestion which is gaining popularity - TV chef Jamie Oliver has said it is the "single most important" change that could be made, while a petition to Westminster calling for the sugar tax to be introduced has been backed by 150,000 people.
But as Scottish medical experts have pointed out, this would only partially tackle the problem. If consumers cut down on fizzy drinks because they are more expensive, it would be a start - but not if they are blithely carrying on eating unhealthy foods, often without being aware of their true calorie or fat content. The current system of food labelling is usually nothing short of baffling for the average shopper - with information on nutrition values "per 100g" or "per portion" making it difficult to work out the full calorie count.
And it is even worse when it comes to eating out, with nutritional information often only available by taking the time to hunt through spreadsheets on a company website.
Campaigners have long argued that a key to tackling obesity is taking on the big food companies that make profits by selling ever-increasing amounts of sugary, high-calorie food and drinks. Arguably a better way forward is to combine education on healthy eating with clear nutrition labelling on everything from alcoholic drinks to cream buns, while making the same information is also available on cafe and restaurant menus. Only then will consumers have true choice over what to eat and drink.
While it might not work in every case, a label stating the contents include ten teaspoons of sugar in large letters will surely make people stop and think more than forking out an extra few pence for their fizzy drink.
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