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WHO urges countries to raise taxes on sugary drinks
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Drawing on lessons from campaigns to fight tobacco, WHO says taxing sugary drinks could help reduce consumption of sugars, bringing health benefits and more income for governments. (Shutterstock/File)
T
he U.N. health agency is recommending that countries use tax policy to increase the price of sugary drinks like soft drinks, sport drinks and even 100-percent fruit juices as way to fight obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
The World Health Organization, in a statement timed for World Obesity Day, says the prevalence of obesity worldwide more than doubled between 1980 and 2014, when nearly 40 percent people globally were overweight.
(Read also: Sugary drinks may cause 184,000 global deaths a year: Study)
Drawing on lessons from campaigns to fight tobacco, WHO says taxing sugary drinks could help reduce consumption of sugars, bringing health benefits and more income for governments.
In a 36-page report on fiscal policy and diet released Tuesday, WHO also cited "strong evidence" that subsidies to reduced prices for fresh fruits and vegetables can help improve diets.
