Sugar tax would prevent 3.7m obesity cases, report suggests

According to a report conducted by Cancer Research UK and the UK Health Forum, a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks in the UK could prevent 3.7 million people becoming obese over the next decade.

The report claimed that the tax would also generate savings of £10 million per year for the NHS. Statistics show that people get between 12-15 per cent of their energy from sugar, however, experts recommend the figure should be less than five per cent.

The statisticians predicted a tax would result in a 16 per cent reduction in the number of cans of fizzy drinks consumed. The report then adjusted figures to account for the food and drink people would consume instead, and found they would take an average of 15 less calories per day.

Official figures show that 29 per cent of the population are obese, with trends suggesting the incidence could rise to 34 per cent by 2025. While the report does not say that the tax will reverse the obesity epidemic, it does predict that obesity rates would level off at around 29 per cent, preventing 3.7 million from becoming obese.

Alison Cox, from Cancer Research UK, said: "The ripple effect of a small tax on sugary drinks is enormous. These numbers make it clear why we need to act now before obesity becomes an even greater problem.”

Jane Landon, from the UK Health Forum, agreed: "Countries which have introduced a tax on sugary drinks have not only reduced consumption, they have raised much-needed revenues for public health measures.”

The report has arrived as the government prepares its obesity strategy, due to be revealed in the next few weeks. Both Prime Minister David Cameron and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt have confirmed that they are open to the idea of a sugar tax. However, many soft drink companies believe other strategies could be more effective.

Gavin Partington, director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, said: "The hypothetical claims made in this modelling study run contrary to real-world evidence. In fact, the soft drinks tax in Mexico has reduced average calorie intake by six calories per person per day, with no evidence that it has reduced levels of obesity."