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Press Release: July 2007: National Heart Forum supports the need for debate about the role of food taxation in tackling the burden of diet-related disease

12 July 2007

Researchers suggest that taxing certain foodstuffs in the UK could cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by almost 2 per cent a year in a paper released tomorrow (Thursday 12 July) in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Welcoming the paper, Tim Marsh, Associate Director of the National Heart Forum said: "The UK is facing a crisis in diet-related illness, including obesity, caused by over-consumption of foods high in fat, sugar and salt. There is no single solution and we need to carefully explore the potential of all possible strategies to tackle the issue. We should pay special attention to any intervention, such as food taxation, which could - if carefully applied - be a proportionate response to the size of the problem and the impact of poor diet on our future health and prosperity."

Press Contacts

For comment or to arrange interviews, please call Tim Marsh, Associate Director on 0207 383 7638 during office hours or mobile on 0771 351 4942.

Notes to editors