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Columbia has introduced a highly ambitious tax system under which extra tax will be levied on processed food and canned drinks available in the market. It is known as the ‘Junk Food Law’ and will soon be applied to all the citizens of Columbia . This law has been introduced after multiple protests and campaigns by volunteer organisations to ban processed food and sugary drinks. The law will help the government regulate the consumption of processed food in the market that contains high levels of sodium that are harmful to health. The biggest consumers of these processed food companies are children who are vulnerable to multiple health-related diseases upon the consumption of high-level sodium food.
President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro has said that this will help people of the country in choosing better food options and improve their eating lifestyle. The ‘health tax’ will be implemented throughout the country gradually. A 10% tax on processed food has been imposed immediately and it will eventually increase to 15% next year and then 20% by 2025. The aim is to make processed food and sugary drinks so expensive that people will think twice before buying them.
Unhealthy drinks like sodas, packaged fruit juices, coffee, and other flavoured drinks will also be taxed. The tax will depend on the amount of added sugar that these beverages have. Some processed foods like sausages or other frozen foods that have preservatives to increase shelf life will be exempted from the tax.
Also Read: How Supermarkets Encourage Buying Junk Food
Tackle Obesity
One of the major issues that Columbia is facing right now is the increasing level of obesity among young people in the country. Columbia already adopted the practice of adding health warnings on all foods containing high levels of unhealthy ingredients like saturated fats or sugar. By adding a warning not only the consumer becomes conscious about health but from now on they will also become financially aware about the products that they're buying. The tax will be applied to those products that contain such warnings.
As per a survey done by the Columbian health ministry, over 56.4% of citizens in the country are overweight in 2021. Multiple newspapers like The Guardian have published reports about the risk of having cardiovascular diseases upon the consumption of high levels of sodium. It has been found that an average Colombian regularly consumes at least 12 g of salt which is one of the highest rates of consumption globally. One-third of the citizens of Colombia are facing problems related to BP. The country is also going through problems like diabetes that are increasing the mortality rate among young people. About 76% of all the deaths in Colombia are caused due to non-communicable diseases like diabetes and obesity.
A lot of citizens have not taken this new health law very well and are criticising the government for increasing the prices of processed food in the ongoing inflation. Many believe that this new health law will directly impact small shopkeepers and vendors who will not be able to sell their products and earn a living.
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Influence of Junk Food
Most of us already know that junk food is very harmful to our health. But while we have a common idea about the harmful effects of junk food, only a few of us know about the seriousness of the whole concept. Most of the junk food available in the market is highly processed and has a lot of salt, sugar and fat content. None of them have any nutrients, vitamins and minerals. All fast foods also fall in the category of junk food. In fact, in recent times, there have been more deaths due to bad eating habits rather than the consumption of tobacco.
Consuming poor-quality diets, especially junk food leads to a higher risk of obesity, diabetes, bad cardiovascular health, and digestive issues. As per a report published by the Washington Post, poor-quality food can also lead to depression and type 2 diabetes.
Junk food when consumed in limited quantities does not harm health, but then one should make sure that it doesn't become a regular practice. Anyone who indulges in eating junk food more than twice a week can also suffer from slower metabolic syndrome and death from coronary heart disease. Disrupted lifestyles and sleeping patterns are also some of the major reasons why there has been an increase in the consumption of junk food. The test of junk food is great but then due to the fast life trend among people, everyone wants to look for faster and easier alternatives. Very few people these days cook fresh meals and eat them hot. Most of us use microwaves for heating our frozen food.
While it has become almost impossible to avoid junk food, it is okay to have it once a week. Having a balanced diet is very important in the current scenario because of the higher level of pollution and stress among people. Let us know what you think of the current ‘Junk Food Tax’ imposed by the Colombian government.
