UK Obesity:

In 2014, 62% of adults in England were classified as obese, compared to only 53% twenty years earlier. More than two-thirds of men in the UK are overweight. Even more shocking than that, one in five children are obese by the time they start Year 1, and one in three by the time they start Year 7.

Obese children are much more likely to be obese adults, and this contributes towards many health and psychological problems, including body image and self-esteem. This was in the news a lot quite recently, and measures have been taken to try and lower this number.

What has contributed to child obesity?

The most common reasons for child obesity are unhealthy eating, lack of proper exercise patterns, and genetics. It can also be caused by rare health conditions, but this is a very small percentage. Companies like Coca-Cola deliberately try to appeal to children with advertising, which persuades many children to spend pocket money on unhealthy goods.

What is the sugar tax?

The sugar tax was a tax introduced on the 6th April 2018. It is tax on beverage manufacturers must pay on all drinks that contain five or more grame of sugar per 100ml. It was part of a government campaign to help stop child obesity, and has been very effective. By taxing sugary drinks, the drinks either become more expensive, or companies reduce the amount in them to keep the m the same price. This helps in three ways: by reducing the amount in the drinks, disuading people from buying them by making them more expensive, and helping to fund physical education in schools with the extra tax from the drinks.