According to experts from New Zealand, taxes imposed on carbonated drinks and saturated fatty fast foods could lead to healthy dietary changes.
When the price of food items go up, dietary changes automatically take place. Experts believe taxes imposed on sugary drinks and fatty food could do a lot of good for people in improving their dietary habits. A group of researchers from New Zealand concluded, after a study, increased taxes could help people eat healthier.
"Based on modeling studies, taxes on carbonated drinks and saturated fat and subsidies on fruits and vegetables are associated with beneficial dietary change, with the potential for improved health," the reserachers said.
Researchers predict that if the price of saturated fatty food is increased by 1 percent, people would reduce their intake by 0.02 percent. Likewise, if prices of carbonated drinks are increased by 10 percent, it would decrease the consumption by 1 to 24 percent.
"It must be noted that the impact of any given food tax or subsidy is likely to differ by country depending on factors such as the type of tax system implemented, health status, co-existent marketing, cultural norms, expendable income, and the social role of food," authors of the study were quoted b Science Daily.
Similarly, it was also found that if there was a 10 percent decrease in the price of fruits and vegetables, people consuming them would go up by 2 to 8 percent. However, this also has a negative consequence. People may end up buying more fruits and vegetables rather than other healthy food items like fish and eggs.
"Given the limitations of the current evidence, robust evaluations must be planned when food pricing policies are implemented by governments," the authors said. "Additional research into possible compensatory purchasing and long-term population health outcomes for different socio-economic groups is needed."
