In a joint statement by their representatives for the region, Dr Lo Ying-Ru and Marianne Clark-Hattingh sighted by FMT, they said the proposed tax, announced in August by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was nevertheless a “smart choice”.
“A tax on sugary drinks is not a silver bullet, and it is certainly not the only measure needed to address the obesity crisis. However, it would have a direct impact on consumption of sugary drinks,” they said.
“When implemented in combination with other measures – education, subsidies on healthy food, nutrition labelling, and food marketing regulations – the cumulative impact on obesity would be strong.”
The statement said having a tax on sugary drinks, which 36 countries have already implemented in some form, would provide financial and health benefits as making unhealthy drinks more expensive was a step in the right direction.
“Poorer households, in particular, are more responsive to price increases and more likely to limit their sugar consumption, thus reducing healthcare expenditure and improving their well-being in the long run,” it said.
“In the current context, the most disadvantaged groups are often left with few alternatives as unhealthy food and drinks are usually cheaper than healthier options.”
It added that poor households stood to benefit from improved social services made possible by increased government revenue generated by the tax.
It quoted statistics that said one in three Malaysians consumes at least one can of soft drink a day, which contains on average 8.5 teaspoons of sugar.
“In 2016, WHO called for all countries to levy taxes on drinks with added sugar to raise their prices by at least 20%. Unicef also considers sugar taxes an important way to prevent childhood overweight and obesity.
“Others have important roles too: chefs can create simple and nutritious recipes, restaurants can promote healthy meals at reduced prices, the government and municipalities can subsidise healthy, local food and school meals,” it added.
Noting that obesity accounts for 10-19% of Malaysia’s total healthcare expenditure, it said this would be too high for both the people and the government, especially during a time of austerity and budget measures as indicated by Putrajaya.
“There is an urgent need to act to improve the health of this generation and the next.
“WHO and Unicef stand ready to support Malaysia – the government, corporate sector, and people – in their efforts to end obesity through a comprehensive strategy that includes a tax on sugary drinks,” it said.