Raise Taxes On Sugary Drinks To Fight Obesity Diabetes: WHO

The World Health Organisation said on 11 October, governments should raise taxes on sugary drinks to fight what it says are global obesity and diabetes epidemics. If retail prices of sugar-sweetened drinks are increased by 20% through taxation, there is a proportional drop in consumption, it said in a report titled ‘Fiscal Policies for Diet and Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases’. Obesity more than doubled worldwide between 1980 and 2014, with 11% of men and 15% of women classified as obese – more than 500 million people, the WHO said. And estimated 42 million children under age 5 were overweight or obese in 2015. This was an increase of about 11 million over the past 15 years. Additionally, some 422 million adults across the world have diabetes. The WHO said there was increasingly clear evidence that taxes and subsidies influence purchasing behavior, and that this could be used to curb consumption of sugar sweetened drinks and hence fight obesity and diabetes.

Love That Extra Cheese? Blame It On Your Genes

Gorging on a ripe Camembert or demolishing the after dinner cheeseboard is usually blamed on greed – now you can blame your genes instead. We’re often warned that the yellow stuff is packed with saturated fat, but it doesn’t stop us from reaching for that extra helping. According to a new study, it’s not just because you’re a glutton, it could in fact all be down to your DNA. Scientists found that those with a gene already linked to obesity have a predisposition for high fat foods, but less of a preference for high sugar foods. This gene, called MC4R, is thought to affect about one in every 1,000 people. The study saw a team of 54 volunteers – some with MC4R, some lean and some obese – offered unlimited portions of chicken korma, followed by an Eton Mess dessert. To put their theory to the test, the volunteers were given three samples of each dish with varying fat and sugar content; the curry’s fat content varied from 20-60% and the dessert’s sugar content varied from 8-54%. After tasting the samples, the volunteers could eat as much as they wanted. Researchers found that while there was no real difference in the amount eaten between the individuals, the 14 people with MC4R unknowingly ate a much higher proportion of the high fat korma; 95% more than the lean participants and 65% more than the obese. When it came to the dessert, those with defective MC4R liked the high sugar option less than their counterparts.