Health Policy Brief on Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Australia

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HEALTH POLICY BRIEF

HEALTH POLICY BRIEF 1
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:............................................................................................... 2
BACKGROUND:........................................................................................................... 3
MEXICO SUGAR TAX................................................................................................... 4
THE NEED TO REDUCE SSB CONSUMPTION IN AUSTRALIA.........................................4
STRONG SUPPORT FOR A TAX FROM EXPERTS, THE AUSTRALIAN PUBLIC AND
GLOBAL PEAK HEALTH BODIES...................................................................................6
HOW SHOULD A HEALTH LEVY ON SSBs BE IMPLEMENTED?......................................7
KINGDON’S POLICY AGENDA SETTING THEORY..........................................................8
PERSONAL REFLECTION.............................................................................................. 9
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................ 10
REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 11

HEALTH POLICY BRIEF 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The retail price of the sugar-sweetened beverage is going to be increased to reduce its
consumption is known to be one of the most advanced policies to improve diet and hence reduce
the disease burden in Australia. The revenue generated through such levy can help in supporting
the initiatives that assist healthy eating, provides discounts on the healthy foods for the people
from the low socioeconomic background. Excess consumption of sugar is one of the major
concern for Australia. The ministerial forum of the country has therefore agreed to implement a
good regulation program to investigate the approach on labeling to be provided on sugar. The
government of Australia and the department of health must prepare an updated policy associated
with sugar in the country. The report will aim in discussing the current scenario of health issues
in Australia caused because of excessive sugar consumption.

HEALTH POLICY BRIEF 3
BACKGROUND:
The majority of the noncommunicable disease and obesity are caused because of an
excessive intake of the sugar-sweetened beverages in several countries. Poor nutrition and
unhealthy diet are the major contributors to disease burden in Australia, and it also plays a major
role in increasing the cost of healthcare. In the year 1980, only 10% of the adults in Australia
were obese, and the figure has reached a remarkable increase in the figure by 28% (Zheng et al.,
2016). Obesity and overweight conditions are associated with the major risk factor linked to
cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorder, cancers, and diabetes, etc. With an increase in
the weight of a person, the risk of developing any of the above-mentioned health issues increases
(Chandler et al., 2017).
Along with that, an obesity condition may also affect the ability of people to manage their
chronic condition. The sugar-sweetened beverage generally proves a good course of sugar and
offer negligible nutritional benefits and thus makes it a reasonable target for public health issues
(Hardy, Bell, Bauman & Mihrshahi, 2016). The food items with a high amount of added sugar
help in lower down the micronutrients as compare to the less processed food and hence displace
the more nutritious beverages and food in the diet. There is some evidence that suggests the use
of dietary sugar may lead to high energy consumption, and therefore it contributes to obesity and
overweight. It requires additional evidences to show whether or not the sugar added in the food
item has some negative impact (Brand & Barclay, 2017).