A healthy tax: On taxing foods high in fat, sugar and salt

India faces a growing issue of overnutrition, alongside the long-standing challenge of undernutrition. Recent data reveals a surge in adult overweight and obesity, along with diet-related metabolic conditions. Two recent developments suggest a need for consumer awareness and government intervention. Firstly, a Parliamentary Standing Committee proposed mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labels, indicating high sugar content in packaged foods.

Secondly, a national consortium advised the government to impose a health tax on high fat, salt, and sugar foods, and enforce stricter advertising regulations. The committee also suggested including sugar content in baby foods to address excessive sugar consumption. The Let’s Fix Our Food initiative, led by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Nutrition, recommends healthier school food environments, stricter marketing regulations, and front-of-pack nutrition labels.

These measures aim to tackle the rising obesity and diet-related non-communicable diseases that require a comprehensive government-led strategy. As of 2017, at least 133 countries have introduced or increased health taxes, such as Colombia's 20% tax on junk food. Norway, Hungary, Denmark, Bermuda, Dominica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Navajo Nation also implemented taxes on unprocessed sugar and sugar-added foods.

With over 17 million children and adolescents affected by obesity, and the number potentially reaching 27 million by 2030, it is crucial to act on these recommendations to educate consumers on healthier food choices.