Sugary soft drinks and other unhealthy foods may one day be taxed if this is deemed feasible, according to a study that the Maltese health authorities plan to carry out.
The feasibility study will look into the introduction of “sin” or “fat taxes” on unhealthy food and explore incentives and subsidies for healthy food, a spokesman for the Health Promotion Department told The Times.
In the UK, doctors have been demanding a 20 per cent increase on the cost of sugary soft drinks as part of recommendations to stop the country’s spiralling obesity crisis.
Malta too has an alarming obesity rate, with the country ranking highest in the EU in terms of the percentage of obese men and the third highest for women.
The Health Department said it had never received any specific request from Maltese doctors to tax soft drinks.
However, the issue was discussed with various stakeholders during workshops held in the consultation phase and launch of the Healthy Weight for Life Strategy. The strategy, published last year, lays the groundwork for the feas-ibility study to be carried out.
Daniel Sammut, a family doctor and the co-author of a paper on obesity recently published in the Malta Medical Journal, said soft drinks and unhealthy food should be taxed and healthy food subsidised.
“I think soft drinks are a major contributor towards obesity, diabetes and dental caries.
“Many people are addicted to soft drinks or flavoured water.
“Because of their hidden high sugar content, these do not satisfy thirst,” he said.
In his paper he discusses the need to involve and train GPs more in the prevention, diagnosis and management of obesity.
According to the 2002 Health Interview Survey, 20 per cent of Maltese consume sugared soft drinks on a daily basis.
From the 2006 Health Behaviour in School Children study, it was noted that 40 per cent of children aged 11 to15 had soft drinks every day.
What makes soft drinks so bad for them?
Registered nutritionist Claire Copperstone explained that soft drinks – as well as iced teas and fruit juices – contained high quantities of processed sugars that were linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay.
A 330ml soft drink can contained between eight and 10 teaspoons of sugar which made up about 80 per cent of the daily sugar requirement of an 11-year-old child.
If not burnt, this energy was converted into fat.
As for diet drinks, she said, while they were low on calories they contained aspartame, an artificial sweetener.