The BBC reports that the British National Health Service is introducing a 20% tax on sugary drinks to discourage consumption, and the government is considering doing the same nationally.
The article can be accessed by clicking on this link: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35340752
It says, among other things, the following:
- There has been growing concern about the damaging impact of sugar on health - from the state of people's teeth to type-2 diabetes and obesity
- Sugar has been blamed for providing "empty calories" because it has no nutritional benefit
- Government advisers recommend no more than 5% of daily calories should come from sugar
- That is about 1oz (25g; six or seven teaspoons) for an adult of normal weight every day. For children, it is slightly less
- The limits apply to all sugars added to food, as well as sugar naturally present in syrups and honey
- To put this in context, a typical can of fizzy drink contains about nine teaspoons of sugar
What strikes me is that one can of soda has more extra sugar than one should get from all sources in a day. That means that each can of soda with sugar brings us closer to the nursing home confinement we are seeking to avoid. Good health begins with good diet.
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