The Diabetes Fund wants to discourage drinking soft drinks. Young people in particular should cut down. That is why the interest group advocates a tax on sugary drinks. The government should introduce this tax shortly. The Diabetes Fund is now calling for this.
According to the Diabetes Fund, a majority of Dutch young people drink so much soft drinks that there is a high risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is often developed. Hereditary also plays a role, but in many cases unhealthy eating and little exercise are the cause. The number of people with type 2 diabetes has been growing for years. Not only in the Netherlands. This trend has also been observed in Belgium and Germany for years.
Price increase
Research shows that a price increase on soft drinks will combat obesity. A higher price will be a deterrent, especially among young people. The Diabetes Fund points out that about 50 percent of adults in the Netherlands are (seriously) overweight. For children and young people aged 4 to 16, this is about 15 percent.
“If we continue like this, one in three adults in the Netherlands who are now 45 years or older are expected to develop type 2 diabetes in the future. More than 1 million people in our country already have this disease and almost a thousand more people are added every week," says Diena Halbertsma, director of the Diabetes Fund. Last week she spoke with State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (Public Health) about the sugar consumption of young people, the supply of healthy food and a tax on sugary drinks.
Efforts are already being made to discourage sugary drinks among young people. For example, there are schools that banned soft drink machines and only included water in the range. But there is little that schools can do about a supermarket around the corner.