Call to tax junk food
Health experts propose making processed foods more expensive, while lowering the price of fruit and vegetables.
Public health advocates are renewing calls for Australia to introduce a 20% on unhealthy foods, arguing that such a measure could save lives, reduce disease, and ease pressure on the nation’s healthcare system.
According to recent Australian Associated Press report, health experts say the Federal Government should consider taxing items such as soft drinks, confectionery, pastries, and processed meats to address rising rates of obesity and diet‑related illness.
The article notes that early modelling suggests hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved over time if political leaders adopted the policy.
Comprehensive new modelling from The George Institute for Global Health demonstrates that a 20% tax on unhealthy food categories could avert 212,000 premature deaths and save $15 billion in healthcare costs over the lifetime of the current adult population.
The modelling, which was described as the most extensive of its kind in Australia, shows such a tax would be seven times more effective at improving health outcomes than taxing sugary drinks alone.
It also suggests the greatest benefits would be realised by low‑income Australians, who face the highest burden of diet‑related diseases.
The George Institute’s analysis also explored the impact of using tax revenue to subsidise healthier options.
Reducing the price of fruits and vegetables by 20% could prevent an additional 45,000 deaths and 191,000 cases of type 2 diabetes, making a combined tax‑and‑subsidy approach a powerful tool for addressing Australia’s nutrition challenges.
“Using a combined tax-subsidy package could tilt the playing field in terms of food prices and help improve our diets in Australia,” lead researcher, Tazman Davies, told AAP.
The institute’s findings align with guidance from the Australian Government’s HealthDirect service, which highlights the risks associated with high consumption of junk foods.
HealthDirect notes that foods that are high in salt, sugar, unhealthy fats, and kilojoules but low in nutrients can lead to both short‑ and long‑term health complications. These include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
Australian Dietary Guidelines suggest that a small amount of ultra-processed foods can be included in a healthy, balanced diet. This means you should only have junk food occasionally and in small amounts.
Nutrient‑rich alternatives include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins.
Advocates of the tax say that with two‑thirds of Australian adults overweight or obese, and only 4% meeting the recommended fruit and vegetable intake, fiscal measures are urgently needed to shift national diets.
Related reading: Canberra Times, George Institute, HealthDirect
Photo by Erik Mclean/Pexels
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