‘Sugar tax’ fuelled drop in consumption but more action needed

British Dietetic Association says findings are ‘encouraging’ but children and adults are still consuming too much sugar leading to chronic illnesses such as obesity and type 2 diabetes

The amount of sugar consumed by children and adults fell significantly following the 2016 announcement of the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy.

An analysis by Dr Nina Rogers and Professor Jean Adams at the University of Cambridge’s MRC Epidemiology Unit looked at 11 years of data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey.

Professor Adams said: “We found that children’s total sugar consumption dropped from about 70g per day in 2008 to about 45g per day in 2019. However, there was a strong downward trend in sugar consumption even before the levy was announced.”

After accounting for existing trends in sugar consumption, the academics found evidence that the announcement of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy was associated with a further reduction of 4.8g of free sugars per day in children across their total diet.

“This is equivalent to an additional reduction of 9.7%,” says Professor Adams. “We also found decreases in sugar in adults’ total diets, and in free sugars that came particularly from soft drinks in children and adults.”

The researchers also noted a 12% reduction in hospital admissions for severe dental decay with the effect most marked for the youngest children.

“The sugar tax is delivering tangible results,” said Eddie Crouch, Chair, British Dental Association. “Extending it to the likes of cereals is a no brainer for any government that cares about prevention. This needn’t add to the cost of living. Where voluntary action on reformulation has failed, the levy forces the food industry to do the right thing.”

Liz Stockley, CEO of the British Dietetic Association, said that while the study's findings are ‘encouraging’ there is still much to be done. “Both children and adults are still consuming far too much sugar, as well as salt, leading to high levels of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

“We welcome the new government's plans to improve health care for all and the reference in the King’s Speech to the restriction of junk food advertising to children, however we need to see further measures and support offered.”

“Policymakers face the challenge of creating a system where healthy food is not only the most accessible, but also the most cost-effective option.”

William Roberts, Chief Executive, Royal Society for Public Health agreed. “We know we’ve got a long way to go when it comes to building the kind of food system that will support a healthier future for the next generation.

“Policymakers face the challenge of creating a system where healthy food is not only the most accessible, but also the most cost-effective option. Additionally, we also need to ensure that education around healthier lifestyles and health improvement is widespread throughout the workforce.”

The report authors called for the levy to apply to milk-based drinks such as sweetened yoghurt drinks and milkshakes, and to increase with inflation.