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Table 3 Main categories and themes in the study

From: Taxation of sugar sweetened beverages and unhealthy foods: a qualitative study of key opinion leaders’ views

Category

Themes

The responsibilities of individual and society for obesity, its causes and treatment

• Obesity is a public and private problem

• Obesity is a financial (economic) problem

Negative positions about taxation of sugar sweetened beverages and unhealthy snacks

• Taxation will negatively affect the population because sweet drinks and sweets give people pleasure

• The industry lobbyists, the Ministry of Finance and Parliament members will oppose.

Potential supporters of taxation

• The Government, the Ministry of Finance

• Parliament members

• The Ministry of Education, education organizations

• Parents

• Health maintenance organizations, the Ministry of Health, health promoting organizations, health professionals (physicians, nutritionists).

• Environmental organizations

Reference to low socioeconomic populations

• Taxing cause inequality because it affects the poor much more than the rich.

Alternative strategies to fight obesity

• Regulation and responsibility of the industry

• Build a healthier environment

• More physical activity

• Personal education and responsibility

Tax rate and its effect on consumption

• Low taxation does not make any consumers change

• High taxation is not proportionate

Public response to the taxation

• The public will oppose, they will never support additional taxation (it is not a popular move)

• The public will be indifferent

Barriers and obstacles to implementing the tax

• Difficulties in defining healthy and unhealthy products

• Difficulties in deciding which products to tax.

• Higher prices of healthy food

• Difficulties in passing the message to the public

• Technical and logistic problems with taxation

• Enforcement difficulties

• Damage to the Industry and danger of worker termination

Tax complementary activities

• Taxing needs a supporting educational and public promotion and advocacy to follow

The need for earmarking tax revenue and obstacles to implementation

• The tax revenue will not be used for the tax cause.

• Government authorities will oppose.

• Learning from the past- the attempt to use the tobacco tax revenue for health cause was a failure.

• Opinions against the use of the tax revenue for a specific cause.

• The public will support the use of tax revenue for health cause, and there will be less objections to the tax.

• Options for the revenue use: health promotion, health education, subsidies for healthy foods.