Kerala’s fat tax: Junk is out, healthy is in

Kerala has shown the way, and how! It has introduced a 14.5 per cent ‘fat’ tax. Primarily, to fight consumption on ‘junk’ food: pizzas, burgers, tacos, chips and, of course, sugar. Predictably, industry circles, including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) were up in arms calling this discriminatory, obviously because as consumption of fast food and sugar products decreases so do their balance sheets.

Undoubtedly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Communist Government has taken a bold stand against the backdrop of the quantum increase in diabetes and obesity in the country. True, many countries, cities and even municipalities have tried imposing what the West calls a sugar tax or soda tax but with mixed results. Denmark, Japan, Mexico and USA among other nations have tried to change consumer behaviour through taxes notwithstanding monitoring and enforcement these have proved to be somewhat difficult.

Interestingly, according to Australia’s Queensland University of Technology, people who are addicted to sugar should be treated in the same way as drug abusers. As excess sugar consumption contributes directly to weight gain. The report found that apart from weight gain, sugar consumption might also result in neurological and psychiatric consequences thereby affecting mood and motivation.

This is not all. The study further stated that “the USFDA approved drugs like varenicline, a prescription medication trading as Champix, which treats nicotine addicts could work the same way when it came to sugar cravings.” As per the World Health Organization, over 1.9 billion people world-wide are over-weight and 600 considered obese. Consequently, doctors and health workers the world over are crying for less fat consumption.

Certainly, the Kerala government’s decision is no doubt well-intentioned and in the right direction. The Central and the State governments would be correct in taking action against ‘garbage food dispensers’ who have not only invaded the market but have also become a threat to health, especially of the youth and younger generation.

By Dhurjati Mukherjee