Experts: More needs to be done to tackle obesity

Unhealthy diet: The rise in the consumption of processed foods, which often contain excess fats, salt and sugar, is one of the main contributors to the rapid rise in obesity among young people in Asia-Pacific.

PETALING JAYA: While the sugar tax is hailed by consumer groups as a good move, dietitians and nutritionists are also saying that more needs to be done to tackle obesity in the country.

The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) is supportive of the tax, claiming that it could help Malaysians become more aware of the need to cut down on their sugar intake.

Its acting president Mohideen Abdul Kadir said that CAP has always campaigned for healthier eating among Malaysians.

“We have always held ‘anti-sugar’ campaigns, especially in public hospitals in Penang. Maybe with this tax, the younger generation will be more aware of the quantity of sugar they consume and not be too crazy about sugar,” he said.

He said CAP has spoken to many parents who were also supportive of imposing tax on beverages containing a high amount of sugar.

However, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia nutritional sciences senior lecturer Dr Wong Jyh Eiin said it would take time before the effectiveness of the sugar tax would be seen.

“Obesity is a multifactorial, complex problem. I cannot comment on the effectiveness until the tax is fully implemented in Malaysia for at least several years.

“Reduced obesity rate is a long-term desired outcome that will take more years to achieve,” she said.

She added, however, that putting a tax on sweetened beverages in other countries has seen encouraging results.

“While taxation of sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) is not the only solution, it is deemed to be an effective intervention to reduce sugar intake and address diet-related risk factors for noncommunicable diseases by the World Health Organisation (WHO),” she said.

Noting that sugar taxation is gaining momentum globally, Dr Wong said countries such as Brunei, Thailand and the Philippines have implemented tax on sugary drinks in the last two years.

“One often cited country that has successfully led SSB taxation is Mexico, which implemented in 2014 an excise tax of one peso per litre on any non-alcoholic beverages with added sugar.

“Within two years of implementation, the purchase of taxed sugary drinks reduced by 8.2%, especially among the poorest households,” she said.

However, Dr Wong said such taxes are not enough to fully address an environment which tends to cause individuals to make decisions that lead to obesity.

“Increasing the price of sugary drinks is not enough. It may not deter all Malaysians from adding sugar into their beverages.

“More concerted effort and extensive mass media coverage are needed to promote awareness and education about sugar intake in general, as we consume added sugar from various sources such as desserts, cakes and cooked foods,” she said.

“We don’t want Malaysians to turn to other sources of sugar to fix their ‘sweet tooth’,” she added.

Malaysia Dietitians’ Association president Prof Dr Winnie Chee agreed, saying that while the sugar tax is a good start, there are other areas that need to be looked at to address obesity.

“The sugar tax will encourage beverage companies and manufacturers to reformulate their drinks to make them less sugary.

“However, there are other areas to consider as well to reduce obesity,” she said, adding that society must also adopt an active and healthy lifestyle.

The tax on sugary drinks will be implemented tomorrow, but it will not be extended to eateries offering sugary beverages such as teh tarik to customers.