Health experts call for more tax on high calorie junk food

Blaming junk food for heart diseases, diabetes, stroke, cancer and many other diseases, health experts have suggested that more tax be levied on these foods.

They have urged the government also to restrain advertisements of these foods with high calorie, salt and sugar, comparing these to tobacco.

They made the appeal at a discussion titled, 'Surcharge on Unhealthy Foods like Tobacco: Necessary Steps' at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday.

At the discussion, organised by Work for Better Bangladesh (WBB), foods like burgers, fried rice, French fries, chips, soft drinks and energy drinks were identified as junk food.

Mostafa Zaman, an official working for the World Health Organization in Bangladesh, said, "The junk food companies will have to be forced to pay more tax but keep their product prices the same. This money can be used to treat patients affected by non-communicable diseases."

Ibrahim Medical College doctor Abu Sayeed said surcharge on junk food should be more than that on tobacco.

WBB published a research report, 'Advertisement of Unhealthy Food and Its Adverse Effects on Public Health', at the programme.

According to the report, 61 percent of Bangladesh's population is affected by non-communicable diseases (NCD).

Control of tobacco is getting priority while the habit of eating unhealthy food is being overlooked, it said.

Dr Sayeed said, "The same diseases can be caused by both tobacco and junk food. So, a health tax should be imposed on them."

BIRDEM Hospital lab director Shuvagato Chowdhury said something not scientifically proved could be shown in advertisements.

He called for strong monitoring of all sorts of advertisement, especially on TV.