UK slaps sugar tax on lattes, milkshakes in battle against obesity

LONDON — The U.K. government on Tuesday extended a sugar tax to include milkshakes as part of the fight against obesity and tooth decay in children. The levy will affect pre-packaged milkshakes, ready-to-go coffees and sweetened yoghurt drinks, but not ones made in cafes and restaurants, it said. The announcement by the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer follows a call by the World Health Organisation in 2023 for countries to increase their taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Health Minister Wes Streeting told lawmakers "obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, hits the poorest hardest, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems". He said it cost the state-funded National Health Service "billions" of pounds each year. Latest official figures suggest that one in 10 children in England is obese when they go to primary school at the age of four or five. The figure rises to 22 percent by the time they reach the age of 10 or 11, according to the National Child Measurement Programme. Under the new measures, milk-based drinks will no longer be exempt from the eWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times