A tax of at least 20% should be slapped on ’unhealthy’ food and drinks to help tackle obesity, researchers claimed today.

Two articles in the influential British Medical Journal called for David Cameron to act on his ongoing investigation into the feasibility of a so-called fat tax.

They claimed evidence showed taxing a wide range of unhealthy foods or nutrients would result in greater health benefits than narrow taxes, with the strongest evidence for a tax on sugary drinks.

But food and drink industry leaders blasted the idea as “irresponsible”.

The BMJ research cited US research suggesting a 35% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in a canteen had led to a 26% decline in sales.

Meanwhile, modelling studies predict a 20% tax on sugary drinks in the US would reduce obesity levels by 3.5%.

Researchers suggested that extending VAT – currently at 20% – to foods deemed unhealthy could prevent 2,700 deaths from heart disease in the UK each year.

Dr Oliver Mytton of the University of Oxford, who produced one of the reports, told The Grocer he believed the UK government’s “mood is turning” in favour of a fat tax and called on the PM to set up an independent inquiry into the issue.

But Terry Jones of the FDF said the timing of such a move would be disastrous.

“When the whole of the food industry is focused on continuing to give hard-pressed families great-tasting food at an affordable price, discussion of adding 20% to food prices seems fanciful if not irresponsible,” he said.

“Under the Public Health Responsibility Deal, we will continue to work with government and other stakeholders to make meaningful improvements in public health through pledges in areas such as salt and calorie reduction, and our commitment to improving the health of our employees.”

In a second analysis paper in the BMJ, Corinna Hawkes of the Centre for Food Policy at City University London claimed the government needed to do more to encourage healthy eating.

“There remains a long way to go for food policies to reach their full potential,” she said.

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