The ultra-Orthodox politicians rejoice at the possibility of abolishing the “sugar tax”. Is the abolition of the tax on sugary drinks a victory for the ultra-orthodox parties? I doubt it. If the ultra-Orthodox parties wanted to protect the ultra-Orthodox population, they should have demanded that the tax be doubled, not abolished. With the industrial revolution The ability to distill the sugar from sugar cane was developed. Refined sugar is harmful to the body, causes obesity, causes addiction, and has a lot of empty calories and zero nutrients.
The food manufacturers, who will also celebrate the abolition of the tax, take advantage of the property of sugar as an addictive substance and push it into every possible food – snacks for children and adults, soft drinks, milk delicacies, breakfast cereals and even ketchup. The carbohydrate (sugar) is an important ingredient for the body in a reasonable amount, and in the ancient world it was found sparingly, and therefore our genetics are built to love the taste, recognize it and consume it. But nowadays this sweet-sweet exists and is available in large quantities, and our genetics, which have not changed, are not built to handle the large quantities.
Simultaneously with the increase in the demand for sugar and its production in the Western world, there is an increase in the number of diabetics and the number of patients with atherosclerosis. We are witnessing the obesity epidemic and teenagers and young people with overweight, diabetes, hypertension and diseases that are usually characteristic of adults. The abolition of the tax on soft drinks will be a “victory” for the new government. The tax that exists in many countries in the world, was received here as a tax enacted to harass the ultra-Orthodox. But it is actually a tax that protects them and takes care of their interests.
Israel occupies a prominent place at the top in the number of adults and children suffering from diabetes and obesity. I recommend keeping the tax on soft drinks and even increasing it, and suggest that the high revenues from the tax be directed to the promotion of health, preventive medicine, educating the youth on proper nutrition and helping the weak populations, who need the prevention of illness more than all of them.