Cancer Research UK and the UK Health Forum modelled the impact of a tax and calculated a 16% reduction in the number of cans of fizzy drink consumed. They also concluded that a tax would lead to people consuming on average 15 fewer calories per day. This would have a huge impact on the rates of obesity which, according to current trends, are forecast to reach 34% by 2025. Although the tax would not reverse the obesity epidemic, it is thought that it would lead to obesity rates levelling off at the current rate of 29%.
Alison Cox, from Cancer Research UK, said: “The ripple effect of a small tax on sugary drinks is enormous.”
News Coverage: BBC
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