OBESITY

Obesity is not only an aesthetic problem, but primarily a nutritional disorder characterized by the
increase in body weight well above the ideal weight, with great consequences for health. The
appearance of obesity influences the physical appearance of the person but also his / her mental
state. Overweight generates numerous complications: diabetes, cardiac and cerebrovascular
disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, locomotor disorders. Although obesity is considered a
complex nutritional-metabolic disorder, there are many ways to treat it.

It is considered obese the person whose Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeds 30. The BMI is a
weight-measuring tool for height. Increased BMI is a risk factor for obesity. Also, the abdominal
circumference is used to estimate the excess weight.

Obesity can embrace a generalized or segmental aspect. The distribution of weight excess in the
lower half of the body characterizes gyro-type obesity "pear-shaped". Android obesity (abdominal,
truncated "apple-shaped": adipose tissue predominates at the trunk) is correlated with a higher
rate of complications. Abdominal circumference greater than 88 cm in women and 102 cm in men
increases the risk of developing other medical problems.

RISK FACTORS
Etiopathogenic factors are multiple and can be divided into individual and environmental factors:
social, economic, professional, family.
Overeating (increase in food intake over needs) is largely culturally imposed. Portions of fast food
or other restaurants are oversized, bringing an excessive caloric intake. Socialization is also
closely linked to food consumption. Family meals, family meetings, work-related activities, or
holiday activities are focused on eating. In addition, mental stress and depression lead to over-
eating of food.

OBESITY TAX
By appealing to food and beverage producers to reduce the sugar content of their products, the
London government has pointed out that one-third of UK children aged 2 to 15 are already
overweight or obese.

"Obesity is a threat to both children's health and our economy, and costs for the national health
system billions of pounds each year." The fee for the soft drink industry is an important step
forward in the fight against obesity, said Secretary of State in the British Ministry of Finance, Jane
Ellison.

By introducing a sugar levy, Great Britain joins Belgium, France, Hungary and Mexico, all of these
countries introducing, in one form or another, a tax on soft drinks containing sugar. The
Scandinavian countries have also introduced several similar taxes.

In the case of Great Britain, the tax will apply to all soft drinks with a sugar content of over 5
grams per 100 milliliters, with even higher beverages being charged even more.

However, Gavin Partington, chairman of the British Soft Drinks Association, said it was a "punitive
charge" that would result in the loss of thousands of jobs without having a significant impact on
obesity.
 The British Department of Health says that soft drinks are the main source of sugar for children,
and that a child can get their recommended daily intake of sugar by taking a single dose of cola
containing nine teaspoons of sugar. British Public Health Minister Nicola Blackwood also said that
the strategy to combat obesity also includes a measure whereby primary schools must provide
every child with at least 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day and at least 30 minutes
of this period must take place during classes at school.

Argument:
The idea of such a tax gave rise to a strong opposition from the food industry employers who
argued that the introduction of such a tax would lead to rising prices, tax evasion and
unemployment. The Ministry of Health did not publish the list of products that would have to be
taxed, nor the tax level, saying only about 40,000 foods were analyzed. Also, the representatives
of the institution said during a public debate that products such as pizza or sausage, meat, milk,
fruit, vegetables, cereals, but only those products that have a lot of fat and sweets will not be
taxed.

Alternative solution: cheaper health products

And in France there have been talks on this topic since the summer of 2008. There followed
protests by small fast-food restaurants and, after all, something quite different. The solution is not
the forced price increase of fast food products, but the cheaper ones. So, in France, it was
chosen to reduce VAT on restaurants, from 19.6% to 5.5%. France has already applied a reduced
food tax rate of 5.5%, but restaurants did not benefit from this provision. Since July 1, 2009, the
state has reduced its quota for restaurants to discourage fast food consumption.

CONCLUSION
In light of these findings, a junk food consumption deterrent in the form of a modest tax on
selected nutrients, snacks, or SSBs (Sugar-sweetened beverages) would yield substantial
revenues to governments, but is unlikely to affect obesity rates. Several studies suggest that high
taxes (≥ 20%) may lead to measurable decreases in obesity on a population level, particularly if
combined with additional interventions (e.g., healthy food subsidies, health education). These
considerations are important and may be especially relevant for obesity prevention in high-risk
populations. Although unwilling politicians may oppose them, high taxes would have the greatest
impact on adolescents, persons of low socioeconomic status, and populations at risk for obesity.

Ultimately, much of the evidence against or in favor of a tax on unhealthy food is derived from
incomplete information. Pilot pricing interventions in specific closed settings should be considered
as an approach to further our understanding of the true effects of a tax on obesity at the
population level.