DOH backs tax on sweetened drinks

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health (DOH) is supporting a congresswoman’s proposal to impose a 10-percent tax on sweetened beverages like soft drinks.

In a position paper it submitted to the House of Representatives ways and means committee, the DOH said consumption of soft drinks and carbonated drinks has been “identified as one of the behavioral risk factors contributing to the development of non-communicable diseases” like diabetes and hypertension.

Citing studies, the health department said 29.1 percent of Filipino males and 22.2 percent of females aged 20 years and above were hypertensive, while four percent of males and 5.5 percent of females were diabetic.

“Most of these diseases were caused by four behavioral risk factors, namely, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and unhealthy diet,” it said.

It added that with the imposition of the 10-percent tax, “consumption of unhealthy beverages like soft drinks can hopefully be decreased.”

The DOH proposed that instead of just soft drinks and carbonated drinks, Nueva Ecija Rep. Estrelita Suansing’s bill should cover sugar-sweetened beverages, including energy drinks and fruit juices with added sugar.

The department cited international studies that showed the link between soft drink consumption and overweight, obesity and diabetes.

It said researchers have “observed a positive association between soft drinks and juice consumption and increased risk of diabetes.”

“Ingestion of soft drinks and juices tends to cause rapid increase in blood sugar and insulin,” it said, quoting the studies, which were mentioned in a 2014 World Health Organization paper on interventions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity.

“Although these studies were done internationally, the DOH agrees that it is obvious that the impact of increased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages significantly affects the health of people,” it said.

The DOH noted that the number of overweight Filipinos had increased “from 24 percent in 2003 to 26.6 percent in 2008.”

“It is also noteworthy to mention that most of our youth today are either overweight or obese due to sedentary lifestyle,” it said.

The department said many young and adult people prefer to consume fast food and processed foods.

The House ways and means committee, chaired by Marikina Rep. Romero Federico Quimbo, is inclined to endorse the Suansing bill.

It has formed a technical working group to finalize it.