Lara Adejoro
The Federal Government has been urged to impose 20 per cent tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages by the National Action on Sugar Reduction Coalition, stressing that taking such action will save Nigerians from preventable diseases, especially obesity.
The coalition noted that one in eight people worldwide grapples with obesity, with alarming statistics revealing that 30 per cent of Nigerians are overweight and 15 per cent classified as obese.
Speaking at an awareness rally to commemorate the World Obesity Day on Saturday in Abuja, the representative of the coalition, Omei Bongos-Ikwue said the fastest way to become obese is to drink sugary beverages.
World Obesity Day is observed globally on March 4th to end the growing global obesity crisis, and it is an opportunity for governments to reaffirm their commitment to tackling this global challenge and strive towards a healthier and more equitable future for all.
Based on the World Obesity Atlas released by the World Obesity Federation, 79 per cent of adults overweight and obese will live in low middle-income Countries by 2035, 88 per cent of children overweight and obese will be living in LMICs by 2035, while the number of adults living with obesity is projected to rise from 0.81 billion in 2020 to 1.53 billion in 2035.
The World Health Organisation underscores the global scale of the obesity crisis, with more than one billion people affected worldwide.
Bongos-Ikwue said, “The reason we are having an awareness on obesity, including abdominal obesity is because obesity leads to serious illnesses like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack. The fastest way to become obese is to consume sugary beverages. The issue with these drinks is that they go straight to the bloodstream and are stored as fat because the content of the drinks is heavily concentrated with sugar and the body can’t digest it all.
“It is also said that 12 types of cancer is related to the consumption of these products. So, what we are trying to do is to raise awareness and get the government’s attention that if these drinks are taxed properly, it will prohibit people from buying them.
“Eleven million people in Nigeria are living with diabetes and many of them cannot afford the drugs. So, we are saying tax sugary drinks so we can prevent people from things like diabetes, and heart disease, and in the end, you are saving yourself and the family.”
She stressed that obesity poses a significant threat to health, while SSBs emerge as a primary source of added sugar in the diet.
“We urge the government to implement higher taxes on sugary drinks. We demand at least 20 per cent tax on all SSBs. The goal of this pro-health tax is to protect more Nigerians from the risks of obesity, alleviate the burden on the healthcare system, and promote a healthier society, “Bongos-Ikwue added.
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