The Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) applauds the World Health Organization (WHO) for urging global action to reduce consumption of sugary drinks. Today is World Obesity Day, a critical reminder that we continue to face an increase in obesity rates and unhealthy weights globally – risk factors for type 2 diabetes, among other serious health conditions.
“We’ve been calling on our governments to make a strong commitment to reduce consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) by introducing a tax on them,” says Rick Blickstead, CDA president and CEO. “The increased risk for type 2 diabetes with excessive consumption of SSBs is now established. We need to use that knowledge to prevent type 2 diabetes. There are many tools we should use to promote health – taxing SSBs works to reduce SSB consumption, so we should use it.”
Currently, 61 per cent of adult Canadians are either overweight or obese. There has also been a dramatic increase in unhealthy weights in children.