Doctors Want Fizzy Drink Tax, Ban On Fast-Food Near Schools

Doctors are calling for heavy taxes on fizzy drinks and the banishment of junk food advertisements. They believe that these things will help fight the obesity epidemic.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has said that the ballooning of waistlines in the UK constitutes a “huge crisis.” The academy represents almost every doctor in the UK.

About a quarter of the adults in the UK are considered obese, making the country one of the most obese nations in the world, reports the BBC.

To combat the nation’s ever-growing waistline, the academy has issued a series of recommendations for the country.

Those recommendations include: banning the advertisement of foods high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt before 9 pm; taxing fizzy drinks at least 20 percent; reducing the number of fast food restaurants near schools; no junk food or vending machines in hospitals; food labels that include calorie information for children; and a £100 million budget for interventions including weight loss surgery.

The group believes the recommendations are necessary because current attempts by the government to reduce obesity have been “disappointingly ineffective,” according to The Guardian.

The action plan is the result of a year-long inquiry into the goal of ending the UK’s status as “the fat man of Europe.” The inquiry included health professionals routinely asking their overweight patients bout their lifestyle, as well as helping new parents with their babies’ feeding habits.

But not everyone is supportive of the academy’s recommendations. The Food and Drink Federation, which represents produce manufacturers, called the report a “dumb squib.” The added that the report will add “little to an important debate.”

Do you think a tax on fizzy drinks and a ban on fast-food restaurants near schools will help curb obesity in the UK?

[Image via ShutterStock]