Sugary drinks should be targeted and taxed

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Obesity rates in Jamaican boys doubled (a 100 per cent increase) between 2010 and 2017 while, among girls, rates increased by 50 per cent. Each sugary drink increases the risk of obesity by 60 per cent, contributing significantly to the rise in overweight. It leads to increased premature death (before the age of 70).

Sugar in drinks is especially harmful because it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, prompting insulin to be released to manage this unnaturally rapid spike. The insulin released causes blood sugar to drop below normal, resulting in a ‘sugar rush’ followed by a ‘sugar crash’ approximately four hours after consumption. This drives the desire for even more sugar.

The association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and weight gain is stronger than for any other food or beverage. It is estimated that 30,000 Jamaican children between the ages of 10 and 19 have high blood pressure as a result of being overweight or obese, largely because of SSB consumption. One SSB a day increases the risk of diabetes by 14 per cent, while consuming two sodas a day doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke. SSBs are the leading cause of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease in both adults and children, and also contribute to dental cavities, depression, gout, and liver disease.

Most sugar-sweetened sodas and energy drinks contain only sugar and colouring, offering no nutritional value. In contrast, coconut water provides magnesium, potassium, and many other essential nutrients.

Drinking SSBs does not satisfy hunger, so the calories they provide are wasted – you still need to eat solid food to feel full. This is especially important for those with lower incomes, who should not be wasting their resources on expensive, dangerous, empty calories.

Over 140 countries have introduced taxes on SSBs because the dangers of sugary drinks are clear. Health professionals in Jamaica support the introduction of taxes on sugary drinks, including those with artificial sweeteners. We have already seen reductions in consumption in Barbados following the introduction of their SSB tax.

In Bermuda where sugar is taxed at 75 per cent, the proportion of adults consuming one or more sugary drinks per day declined from 50 per cent in 2014 to 42 per cent in 2019. The greatest decline was among men, dropping from 59 per cent to 36 per cent. We need that in Jamaica.

ALAFIA SAMUELS