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Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition No.3, 2017

Dental Tribune Asia Pacific Edition | 3/2017 ASIA PACIFIC NEWS Increase in healthy life years through sugar, fat and salt taxes 03 AD By DTI MELBOURNE, Australia: Modelling the effect of different combina- tions of taxes on sugar, salt and fat and a subsidy on fruits and vege- tables on the death and morbidity rates of Australians, a new study has found that imposing a tax on sugar could avert about 270,000 disability-adjusted life years. In addition, the research estimated that, when combined to maximise benefits, taxes and subsidies could reduce the country’s health care spending by A$3.4 billion. In the Western world, non- communicable diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dental caries, are mainly attributable to an unbal- anced intake of fats, sugars and salt. In order to tackle the burden of those diseases, an increasing num- ber of countries have already im- plemented or proposed taxes on unhealthy foods and drinks. How- ever, the actual cost-effectiveness of levies and subsidies on certain nutritional items to reduce the bur- den of diet-induced diseases is un- certain and can only be estimated. In the current study, research- ers at the University of Melbourne simulated the effect of different combinations of taxes on un- healthy foods and a subsidy on fruits and vegetables based on the Australian population of 22 mil- lion in 2010. The model analysis set the sizes of the taxes and sub- sidy such that combined there would be less than a one per cent change in total food expenditure by the average household. The results showed that a tax on sugar had the greatest impact among the taxes simulated. A sugar tax could avert 270,000 disabili- ty-adjusted life years (DALYs), the researchers calculated. DALYs are years of a healthy lifespan that are lost to disease. This equals a gain of 1.2 years of healthy life for every 100 Australians alive in 2010, which is a health outcome that few other pub- lic health interventions could de- liver across the whole population, according to the researchers. In comparison, a salt tax was estimated to save 130,000 DALYs, a saturated fat tax 97,000 DALYs and a sugar-sweetened beverage tax 12,000 DALYs. As for a fruit and vegetable subsidy, the study was unable to determine an isolated clear health benefit, although it too made for additional averted DALYs and reduced health sector spending, the researchers wrote. The study adds to growing evi- dence of large health benefits and cost-effectiveness of using taxes and regulatory measures to influ- ence the consumption of healthy foods. Based on the results of the models, the formulation of a tax and subsidy package should therefore be given more prominent and serious consideration in public health nu- trition strategy, they concluded. The study, titled “Taxes and subsidies for improving diet and population health in Australia: A cost-effectiveness modelling study”, was published online on 14 February in the PLOS Medicine journal. Tetric® N-Ceram Bulk Fill The efficient posterior composite Save 55% on time* and achieve amazing results N O W A S A F L O W ! - m a r e C N ® c i r t e T d n a w o F - N ® c l i r t e T h t i w d e r a p m o C * . t s e u q e r n o l e b a I v o c e r L I G HT I N I i n ® R O T I A T T E N TED P A l i a v a a t a D Tetric® N-Ceram Bulk Fill Tetric® N-Flow Bulk Fill sculptable flowable www.ivoclarvivadent.com Ivoclar Vivadent AG Bendererstr. 2 | 9494 Schaan | Liechtenstein | Tel.: +423 235 35 35 | Fax: +423 235 33 60 © Yuriy Maksymiv/Shutterstock.com

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