Taxing the Food Industry: Could Tobacco-Style Response Curb the Obesity Epidemic?

To fight the obesity epidemic, the United Nations stated Monday that officials will be pushing to impose taxes on unhealthy food items--similar to the increasing regulation of tobacco products.

"Unhealthy diets are now a greater threat to global health than tobacco. Just as the world came together to regulate the risks of tobacco, a bold framework convention on adequate diets must now be agreed," said Belgian professor Olivier de Schutter of the World Health Organization (WHO), via Reuters, at the organization's annual summit.

The World Obesity Federation and Consumers International are among those calling for stricter control on food advertisements, including pictures and packaging that may influence the purchase of an unhealthy item.

Officials hope that new rules could include reduce salt, sugar and saturated fat levels in certain foods, as well. Greater public education on nutrition and unhealthy items is also being considered.

Consumers International Director General, Amanda Long said, via The Daily Mail: "The scale of the impact of unhealthy food on consumer health is comparable to the impact of cigarettes. 

"The food and beverage industry has dragged its feet on meaningful change and governments have felt unable or unwilling to act.

"The only answer remaining for the global community is a framework convention and we urge governments to seriously consider our recommendations for achieving that. 

"If they do not, we risk decades of obstruction from industry and a repeat of the catastrophic global health crisis caused by smoking."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that more than one-third of the U.S. adult population are obese, dramatically increasing their risk for certain weight-related health issues. Worldwide, there has also been an increase. 

'The global prevalence of obesity - defined as a BMI of more than 30 - doubled between 1980 and 2008, to 10 per cent of all men worldwide, and 14 per cent of all women," said World Obesity Federation Director of Policy, Dr Tim Lobstein, via foodnavigator.com.