Thais consume 4 times more sugar than WHO limit
The Public Health Ministry is targeting sweet drinks in its latest campaign to curb Thais’ health-damaging addiction to sugar.
On average, each Thai person consumes 25.5 teaspoons of sugar per day – four times more than the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit.
In response, the ministry on Friday signed a memo of understanding with health agencies to promote reduced-sugar beverages.
Thailand began taxing beverages that contain more than 6 grams of sugar per 100ml in 2017, noted Public Health Deputy Minister Satit Pituthecha. The tax is adjusted every two years in a bid to reduce excess consumption of sugar and to allow the industrial sector to adjust gradually.
The ministry aims to build health literacy among the public with health-promotion activities, lower-sugar recipes for drinks, and more responsible marketing.
Recent research by the University of Zurich found that consuming excess sugar doubles the body’s fat production in the liver. In the long run, this can add up to the development of diabetes or fatty liver disease.
