In an editorial, the Washington Post advocates a national tax on sugar as the best way to discourage consumption and improve the general health of Americans. Some 16 percent of the calories consumed by Americans daily comes from sugar added to foods during processing, says the Post. A tax on sugar itself rather than high-sugar foods and drinks would have a more uniform effect, it says. “This would best be done nationally rather than creating easily avoided local sugar taxes … Sugar taxes are not about punishment or blame but are about nudging people from destructive behavior in a way that’s both economically efficient and less coercive than many alternatives.”
The World Health Organization recommends limiting sugar to 10 percent of the daily diet and says, “a further reduction to below 5 percent, or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day would provide additional health benefits.”
“A surprisingly high proportion of foods consumer in the United States contain some solid fats and added sugars,” says USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. The combination, nicknamed SoFAS, “are also known as empty calories …. because they provide few or no nutrients yet are high in calories.” Researchers said consumer education about SoFAS hidden in processed foods could improve diet quality.