Fat tax on food demanded

Fat tax on food is intended to protect against chronic diseases

13/11/2014

More than every second German adult is overweight or even obese according to experts. Obesity, and especially obesity, are risk factors for complications such as diabetes, heart attack and cancer. No wonder that the number of patients is also rising steadily. Experts speak of one „Tsunami of chronic diseases“, something urgently needs to be done. The German Alliance against Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD Allianz) therefore calls for the introduction of a sugar and fat tax on unhealthy foods.

Fat tax is supposed to make unhealthy foods unattractive for consumers
Health experts have long been in agreement: in order to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart attack, appeals to the population regarding a healthy lifestyle are not enough. Too large is the lure of unhealthy foods, which are often even considered by the food industry „precious“ or „as part of a balanced meal“ be designated. Therefore, health experts are now calling for the introduction of a fat tax that will make unhealthy foods more expensive. At the same time, the price of healthy products should fall. Behind this is the idea that consumers can be heavily influenced by the price when shopping. Because most Germans eat significantly more sugar and fat than good for them.

Not surprisingly, over half of adults and fifteen percent of three to seventeen-year-olds in Germany are overweight. Nearly 25 percent of adults and six percent of children and adolescents are even obese. „They also have a high risk of suffering from diabetes, cancer, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure or respiratory problems as a result of being overweight“, clarifies the German Diabetes Society (DDG) in a message. „In Europe, these chronic diseases already cause 86 percent of premature deaths and 77 percent of the disease burden.“ This not only causes great suffering, the health systems would also be burdened with costs in the tens of billions.

Fat tax has already been successfully introduced in other European countries
The NCD Alliance, an association of 16 medical societies and research organizations, calls on federal and state governments to initiate effective measures as soon as possible. „There are hundreds of prevention offers in Germany. They could not stop the tsunami of chronic diseases. Appeals to the reason of the individual have failed“, explains Dr. Dietrich Garlichs, spokesman of the alliance and managing director of the DDG. „We need to move away from 'projectitis' towards structural solutions that promote a healthy lifestyle.“ The alliance has therefore developed a four-point program, with which also educationally distant layers are to be achieved. This target group is particularly affected by chronic diseases, but has not been reached by the previous offers mostly, the DDG said.

How Garlichs in conversation with the online edition of „Berlin morning mail“ The introduction of the fat tax is politically a sensitive issue. „In recent years, we have repeatedly addressed members of parliament to the issue. But they did not want to burn their fingers on such a topic. "Meanwhile, even the chairman of the health committee was convinced of the idea.

In other countries, the fat tax has already been introduced. These include France, Hungary and Denmark. According to the NCD Alliance, the consumption of fatty foods in Denmark has fallen by 10 to 20 percent since the introduction of the tax. The introduction of the increased tobacco tax has already shown that higher prices discourage consumers. While between 1997 and 2001 28 percent of teenagers still smoked, in 2012 only 12 percent could not do without nicotine consumption. „The significantly increased tobacco tax has contributed significantly to this, "said Berthold Jany, Vice President of the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine, opposite the newspaper.

Prevent overweight with fat tax, exercise, ban on food advertising aimed at children and healthy daycare and school meals
In addition to introducing a fat tax, the NCD Alliance's four-point program also includes „at least one hour of physical activity (sports) in kindergarten and school every day“, the introduction of mandatory quality standards for day nursery and school meals and a ban on food advertising aimed at children.

Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen, physician, moderator and comedian, supports the cause of the alliance. „In kindergartens and schools, life decides whether one understands and loves one's body. And because a healthy self-confidence, curiosity and joy are the best guarantors for a happy and healthy life, it is high time that the doctors, educators and educators modern and proven concepts in the hand“, said the former doctor of the Children's Hospital of the Free University of Berlin. (Ag)