It took years. If not decades. But finally, the UK government has taken a massive step forward by introducing a new Sugar Tax on the fizzy drinks industry in an effort to combat obesity.

But will the sugar tax have any effect on the amount of sugar fizzy drinks manufacturers hide in our drinks?

Sweet victory or sweet deceit?

First, the lowdown on how the sugar tax will be implemented:

1. There will be two tiers to this sugar tax: one will apply to drinks with sugar content above 5g per 100ml and another to drinks with more than 8g per 100ml.

This means a standard can of Coca-Cola ? costing around 70 pence ? would have an 8 pence tax placed on it, while a can of Sprite would have an additional levy of 6 pence, when the sugar tax is introduced in 2018. Drinks below 5g of sugar per 100ml, such as Lucozade Sport and Volvic Touch of Fruit (fruit flavoured water), will be exempt; as will fruit juices and milk-based drinks such as Frappuccinos… and of course low-fat milk products, which by the way, are also laden with sugar.

2. The tax will be levied on fizzy drinks companies in two years’ time, giving them time to change the ingredients and recipes of their products.

There’s no doubt that this new tax will create a greater awareness among the public of which fizzy drinks to avoid, and as a knock-on effect people will almost certainly see the benefits to their health by cutting out these sugar-laden beverages from their diets.

Mexico, for instance, has been plagued by diabetes and obesity for more than a decade. When the country introduced a 10 per cent sugar tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in 2014, sales of fizzy drinks fell by 12 per cent in the first year.

In Hungary, the introduction of a tax on companies has led to a 40 per cent reduction in levels of sugar products.

In the UK, it will take another two years before the public will hopefully start to reap the benefits of this new sugar tax. And we might add that it would’ve been great if the sugar tax was levied on all beverages containing added sugar, including low-fat milk and flavoured water, because these are far from “healthy options”.

The big issue is food manufacturers disclosing the amount of sugar added to their products. Currently, in the UK, there is no law requiring food manufacturers to say how much sugar is being added to our food. I also wonder if the sugar tax applies to all forms of sugar, like high fructose corn syrup, or just good old-fashioned cane sugar?

So, it looks to me that if the government wants to see a real and lasting impact from the sugar tax, it should look at the reform of food labels and perhaps even slap a ban on high fructose corn syrup.

For now, we’re very happy to settle for what some have called “a shocking and controversial” tax… but if you really think about it, the sugar tax is common sense: put the clamps down on adding a nutrient deficient and health damaging substance in our food, and reap the rewards in the long term ? a healthier, thinner and disease-free country.

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Bear in mind all the material in this email alert is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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Sources:

Sugar tax: what does it mean, which drinks will be affected, and will it work?, published online 17.03.16, telegraph.co.uk

Will a sugar tax actually work? Published online 17.06.16, theguardian.