A report by a select committee of lawmakers in Britain backs a 20-percent tax on sugary drinks as “an essential part of a wider package of measures to tackle childhood obesity,” reports the Guardian. Prime Minister David Cameron opposes the tax. The government is to unveil its child-obesity program in the new year. The committee advocates steps such as banning TV ads for any high-fat, salty or sugary food before 9 p.m. and barring sales of sweets at non-food stores.
The 20-percent tax would not reduce child obesity on its own, says the select health committee, but it would constrain consumption for a while, says the Guardian. “Children consume three times more sugar than is recommended. Soft drinks are the biggest source, accounting for 29% of the sugar intake of 11- to 18-year-olds and 16% for younger children.”