A recent study found that the amount of sugar consumed by UK children from soft drinks halved within a year of the sugar tax being introduced.
Experts argue that the tax has been so successful in reducing children’s daily sugar intake that an expansion to cover other sugary food and drink products is a “no-brainer.”
The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, looked at responses from 7,999 adults and 7,656 children between 2008 and 2019 to the annual, nationally representative UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
Sugar tax delivers “tangible results”
Researchers found that, in the year after the sugar tax came into force in April 2018, children’s daily sugar intake fell by about 4.8g, while for adults it decreased by about 10.9g.
Results show that the total dietary free sugars, including food and drink, in children was about 70g at the beginning of the study, falling to around 45g by the end. For adults, the total dietary free sugar consumption was about 60g per day, falling to around 45g.
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ompared to the period before the sugar tax was first announced in 2016, free sugars consumed from soft drinks reduced by around a half in children and by a third in adults.
The lead author of the study, Dr Nina Rogers from the University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, said the findings were “encouraging” and “consistent with previous research.”
They have led experts such as Eddie Crouch, the Chair of the British Dental Association, to declare that the sugar tax is effective and delivering “tangible results.”
Extending sugar tax a “no-brainer”
However, despite this reduction in sugar intake, adults and children are still consuming amounts above the recommended daily guidelines, and high sugar diets continue to contribute to high levels of tooth decay, obesity, diabetes and other health issues in the UK.
This is why experts want to see the sugar tax extended to other high sugar food and drink products, like breakfast cereals.
Mr Crouch explained:
“Extending it to the likes of cereals is a no-brainer for any government that cares about prevention. This needn’t add to the cost of living. Where voluntary action on reformulation has failed, the levy forces the food industry to do the right thing.”
Meanwhile, Dr Nina suggested:
“The new UK government might want to consider extending the tax to other (currently exempt) drinks which have a high sugar content, or even to some foods. They might also want to look at restructuring the tax to apply a per gram of sugar / 100mls rather than threshold-based levy.”
Dr Kawther Hashem, a lecturer in Public Health Nutrition at Queen Mary University of London, said the study “drives home the importance of policies designed to improve the nutritional quality of food and drink.”
She added:
“In particular, the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) in the UK has been proven to be an effective lever to encourage food and drink manufacturers to reduce sugar.
“With a new government now in place, policymakers are urged to consider applying a similar levy to other discretionary products that are key contributors to sugar intake, such as chocolate confectionary, to shift diets towards a healthier direction.”
Government pledges to take action to tackle obesity
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said the new Labour government intended to “take action to prevent ill-health and tackle the obesity crisis head on, easing the strain on the NHS and helping people to live well for longer.”
They pledged to introduce “tight restrictions” on junk food advertising as well as banning children from being able to purchase sugary, high-caffeine energy drinks, adding: “By building a healthier society, we will help to build a healthy economy.”
Guidance from the World Health Organization and the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition states that free sugar should equate to less than 5% of a person’s daily calorie intake. For adults, this would mean a maximum of 30g of sugar a day, while for children aged between 7 and 10 it would be 24g and for youngsters aged 4-6 it would be around 19g.
Learn about nutrition and healthy eating
First Response Training (FRT) is a leading, national training provider.
They deliver a wide range of high quality training courses to over 50,000 learners annually, working with hundreds of businesses and organisations across the UK.
They work with hundreds of early years providers, schools, colleges, universities and children’s social care settings each year to deliver essential training to help support the health, safety and welfare of the children and young people they support.
One of the topics they offer training in is Food Safety, Nutrition and Hydration.
A Trainer at FRT, says:
“Data shows us that over a third (36.6%) of children are at an unhealthy weight (classed as overweight or obese) . They are more likely to develop a number of conditions such as Type 2 diabetes or heart problems, and are more likely to grow into obese adults and experience a shorter life. One of the main culprits is sugar consumption.
“Decisive steps forward to try to end this cycle can only be a positive thing. Everyone needs to be more aware of making healthier food choices for us and the next generation.”
For more information on any of the training that FRT can provide, please call them today on freephone 0800 310 2300 or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.