Sugar tax could save lives

Plus R10bn saving in medical costs

A SUGAR tax on sugar-sweetened cooldrinks can potentially save South Africa R10-billion in diabetes-related medical costs by helping people to lose weight, a study done by Priceless, a programme hosted by Wits University School of Public Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences found.

Priceless is a Johannesburg-based programme hosted by Wits University together with the SA Medical Research Council and the Wits Unit in Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research that uses data to improve the way in which resources are allocated and priorities are set for interventions, clinical services and health technologies.

Earlier this year the national Department of Health announced plans to consider sugar tax as a way to address the obesity problem in South Africa.

Eastern Cape MEC for Health Pumza Dyantyi said in her budget policy speech last month that high blood pressure, heart disease, strokes, diabetes and chronic lower respiratory disease – all caused by unhealthy lifestyles – now jointly account for 20.8% of deaths in the province.

Researchers at the District Health Barometer, studying the causes of death for Nelson Mandela Bay, also found that there was a “marked increase” in deaths caused by lifestyle diseases and that diabetes was one of the diseases “moving up the ranks” as a cause of death.

Using information gathered in the first nutrition survey done in South Africa, the SA National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers at Priceless estimated what the impact of a proposed sugar tax would be on the consumption of sugar-sweetened cooldrinks. They also obtained diabetes cost estimates from the South African Council for Medical Schemes.

Their findings, published in the journal PLOS-One, were that:

• Over 20 years, a 20% tax on sugarsweetened cooldrinks could reduce diabetes cases by 106 000 in women and by 54 000 in men;

• Over 20 years this could prevent 21 000 diabetes-related deaths.

• It is estimated the new tax could save R10-billion in healthcare costs over 20 years.

“Fiscal policy on sugar-sweetened beverages has the potential to mitigate the diabetes epidemic in South Africa and contribute to the national Department of Health goals stated in the National NCD strategic plan,” the researchers concluded.

The data on South Africans’ consumption of sugar-sweetened cooldrink was staggering:

• In 2002, South Africans consumed 183 Coca-Cola products per person per year. (Measured as a can of cooldrink).

• In 2012 this increased to 260 products annually, putting South Africa in the top 10 consumers of Coca-Cola products. The worldwide average in 2012 was 94.

• Data from Euromonitor also showed off-trade sales of soft drinks in South Africa totalled 4 206 million litres in 2013, up from 3 620 million in 2008.

• A 2014 study showed total soft drink consumption in SA increased by 69% from 55 litres/person per year in 1999 to 92.9 litres/person per year in 2012.

• Another study showed that the number of adults drinking sugar-sweetened cool drinks in rural areas approximately doubled from 25% to 56% in women and from 33% to 63% in men between 2005 and 2010.

“Studies have suggested sugar tax can reduce consumption of these drinks and consequently reduce the total energy intake with attendant weight loss

“According to studies done in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the impact of sugar tax was shown to reduce obesity by 1.3% (20% tax) and 1.3% (10% tax) respectively.

“In India a 20% sugar-sweetened sugar tax was projected to reduce overweight and obesity by 3% and the incidence of type 2 diabetes by 1.6% over the period of 2014–2023.

“In South Africa a modelling study has shown that a 20% sugar-sweetened tax could potentially reduce obesity by 2.4% in adults but there are currently no estimates of the potential impact on the burden of Type 2 Diabetes,” researchers said in their article.

They added that fiscal and regulatory policy tools had been successfully used in South Africa for improving public health. “Increases in tobacco excise tax and tobacco control regulations decreased aggregate cigarette consumption by a third between 1993 and 2003, and per capita consumption by 40%.”