Researcher says tax breaks for healthy food could curb obesity

Making healthy food VAT-free and taxing health-threatening products more heavily could help curb obesity, public health researcher Taavi Tillmann says. In an interview reported by ERR, the University of Tartu associate professor also called for action to reduce economic inequality.

A risk assessment published in the British medical journal The Lancet identified 17 major threats to human health, ranging from nuclear war to the malicious use of artificial intelligence. The authors said obesity, limited access to education and income inequality would be the leading causes of years of life lost between 2025 and 2100.

Tillmann said obesity is a leading contributor to the burden of disease. A study published this summer found that it costs Estonia 120 million euros a year. Obesity is linked to numerous illnesses and can also affect mental health, he said. Children with obesity or overweight are more likely to experience bullying and mental health problems, while later risks include diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, most cancers and mental health disorders.

To reduce obesity, policymakers and officials should create an environment that discourages it, Tillmann said. He identified food prices, advertising and availability as key areas for action, and described a sugar tax as a small, targeted measure that could bring obesity down slightly.

He also suggested setting VAT on healthy foods at zero and raising taxes on products that threaten health, saying the change would probably cost taxpayers nothing overall. Tillmann said fast-food chains largely target young, impressionable consumers and that the food industry is effectively deregulated, with a few exceptions.

He does not consider reimbursing weight-loss medicines a good solution at present, according to ERR.