Position paper on taxes to non-basic energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages

Autor: Tonatiuh Barrientos-Gutiérrez, M Arantxa Colchero, Luz María Sánchez-Romero, Carolina Batis, Juan Rivera-Dommarco
Jazyk: English<br />Spanish; Castilian
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Salud Pública de México, Vol 60, Iss 5, sep-oct, Pp 586-591 (2018)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0036-3634
1606-7916
DOI: 10.21149/9534
Popis: In 2014 the Mexican government implemented taxes to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and nonessential energy-dense foods. In this manuscript, we analyze the scientific evidence linking the consumption of these products to chronic diseases, and summarize the studies that have evaluated the observed and expected impact of food taxes in Mexico. The implementation of taxes to unhealthy foods has reduced purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages in 7.6% and nonessential energy-dense foods in 7.4%. A reduction in consumption could decrease obesity prevalence by 2.5%; prevent 20 000 cardiovascular disease events; 189 000 diabetes cases; and 20 000 cardiovascular deaths. Additionally, this impact could save nearly 1 173 million dollars from healthcare costs. Taxes to unhealthy foods should be strengthen up and remain as an integral part of the national strategy to reduce obesity and chronic diseases in Mexico.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals