WHO urges countries to raise taxes on sugary drinksGENEVA — The U.N. health agency is recommending that countries use tax policy to increase the price of sugary drinks like soft drinks, sport drinks and even 100-percent fruit juices as way to fight obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. FILE – This Sept. 15, 2011, file photo shows the nutrition label on a can of soda with the ingredient high fructose corn syrup, in Philadelphia. Philadelphia recently passed a tax on sugary drinks and in 2016, the government recommended we limit our intake of added sugars to 10 percent of daily calories, underscoring how significant elected officials believe the problem is. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File) | mb.com.phThe World Health Organization, in a statement timed for World Obesity Day, says the prevalence of obesity worldwide more than doubled between 1980 and 2014, when nearly 40 percent people globally were overweight. Drawing on lessons from campaigns to fight tobacco, WHO says taxing sugary drinks could help reduce consumption of sugars, bringing health benefits and more income for governments.

Source: Manila Bulletin October 11, 2016 08:26 UTC