Medical Bodies Call for ‘Sugar Tax’ to Curb Obesity and Chronic Disease

The AMA and ADA have renewed calls to introduce a sugar tax to help curb Australia's obesity crisis and growing rate of chronic disease. iStock

An additional “sugar tax” on sweetened beverages may be on the cards after the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Australian Dental Association (ADA) renewed calls to address the high rates of obesity and chronic disease among Australians.

In an Aug. 10 statement, both the AMA and ADA said the tax would send a “strong signal” that sugary drinks are “unhealthy.”