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Junk food tax
A proposed tax on junk food is now firmly back on the Federal Government's agenda after recommendation made with the release of the National Preventative Health Strategy.
With 61% of all adults and 25% of all children either overweight or obese, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics, weight gain and the associated health risks such as cardiovascular disease (responsible for 34% of all Australian deaths) are now placing an ever-increasing burden on the health system.
Global trends in obesity
The World Health Organisation has found that the following factors have increased the number of overweight and obese people globally:
- We use less physical energy in day-to-day life today than 50 years ago.
- Due to changes in the workplace, less people do physically demanding jobs
- There is a higher demand for fast foods which are higher in saturated fats
- Our leisure time is less likely to involve physical activity than ever before
- people are also more likely now than in the past to participate in leisure activities which involve little, if any, physical activity, such as watching television.
The National Preventative Health Strategy
The Federal Government's National Health Taskforce has now released a report that makes 174 recommendations to tackle obesity, smoking and alcohol-related disease. Among them is the recommendation that junk food attract a tax much like the taxes attached to cigarettes and alcohol.
The taskforce suggests that this may have a discouraging effect and lower the consumption of these convenience foods. Multiple surveys of regular Australians have shown that about 65% of us support a health tax on junk food.
Junk food tax
Australia is not alone in considering a tax on junk food - currently both Taiwan and Romania are introducing such a tax, which will alleviate some of the pressure on their health systems.
A health tax on junk food in Australia would provide much needed revenue to an over-stretched healthcare system, and support education programs on better eating habits.
Find more relevant articles
- Find out more about healthy eating habits
- Find out more on foods to avoid when pregnant
- Read more on snacks, drinks and vegetarian diets for toddlers
- Find out more about condition and disorders
Written by Ella Walsh for Kidspot, Australia's best resource for family health. Sources include Food Safety Australia, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Preventative Health taskforce.
Last revised: Wednesday, 10 February 2010
This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.