Le sucre au banc des accusés

'Sugar tax' needed to curb* childhood* obesity, say experts

Tax to deter* consumption of soft drinks among* measures proposed by Action on Sugar, as well as ban* on junk food sports sponsorships

To curb = réduire, restreindre
Childhood = enfance
To deter = empêcher, dissuader, décourager, prévenir
Among = parmi
A ban = une interdiction

A campaign group has called on the government to introduce a "sugar tax" to discourage consumption of sweetened* soft drinks*. Action on Sugar said it had developed a seven-point plan to curb childhood obesity following a request* for its views from the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt. The measures include bringing in a sugar tax, limiting the availability* of ultra-processed foods* and sweetened soft drinks, and banning "junk food sports sponsorships".
Sweetened = sucré
Soft drink = boisson non alcoolisée
A request = une requête, une demande
Availability = disponibilité, validité
Food processing = agro-alimentaire, aliments transformés

The group's chairman*, Professor Graham MacGregor, said: "Obesity in children leads* to the premature development of cardiovascular disease*, stroke*, heart* attacks and heart failure*, which are the commonest cause of death* and disability* in the UK."Obesity predisposes to type 2 diabetes, which further increases* the risk of cardiovascular disease and also, importantly, it can lead to severe complications, ie the commonest cause of blindness*, renal dialysis and amputation of the lower limbs*.
 A chairman = un président
To lead to = mener à
A disease = une maladie
A stroke = une attaque
Heart = le coeur 
A failure = une faiblesse, une panne
Death = la mort
Disability = invalidité
To increase = augmenter
Blindness = la cécité
The lower limbs = les membres inférieur

"These complications are extremely expensive to manage, and will cripple* the NHS* if the increase in obesity and type 2 diabetes is not stopped immediately."Obesity is preventable* if the food environment is changed, yet* the current* policies are not working. The UK requires the implementation* of this coherent strategy, starting by setting incremental* sugar reduction targets* for soft drinks this summer. No delays*, no excuses."
To cripple = estropier, paralyser, bloquer
The NHS = National Health Service (l’équivalent de notre sécurité sociale)
Preventable = évitable
Yet = cependant, pourtant
Current = actuel
The implementation = mise en œuvre, exécution
Incremental = progressif
A target = une cible, un objectif
A delay = un retard

Dr Aseem Malhotra, cardiologist and science director of Action on Sugar, said: "It is really quite shameful* that the food industry continues to spend billions* in junk food advertising* targeting* children, the most vulnerable members of society. They even* manage* to associate sugary products with sport. "Physical activity has a multitude of benefits but a child doing an hour of PE (physical education) every day would be putting all to waste* if they ended up gorging on a burger and chips and a packet of crisps washed down* with a sugary drink. One has to run half a marathon to burn off* those calories. It's time to bust* the myth of physical activity and obesity and dissociate junk food and sport."
Shameful = honteux
Billions = des milliards
To advertise = faire de la publicité, afficher
To target = viser, prendre pour cible
Even = même
To manage = se débrouiller
Waste = gaspillage, perte
Washed down = arroser
To burn off = brûler
To bust = flanquer en l’air

The seven measures called for are:
• Reduce added sugars by 40% by 2020 by reformulating food.
• Cease* all forms of targeted marketing of ultra-processed, unhealthy* foods and drinks to children.
• Dissociate physical activity with obesity via banning* junk food sports sponsorships.
• Reduce fat* in ultra-processed foods, particularly saturated fat – 15% reduction by 2020.
• Limit the availability of ultra-processed foods and sweetened soft drinks as well as reducing portion size*.
• Incentivise* healthier food and discourage drinking of soft drinks by introducing a sugar tax.
• Remove* responsibility for nutrition from the Department of Health and return it to an independent agency.
To cease = cesser
Unhealthy = malsain, mauvais pour la santé
To ban = interdire
Fat = les graisses
Portion size = la taille des portions/ parts
To incentivise = motiver, encourager
To remove = déplacer

Action on Sugar – a group of specialists concerned with sugar and its effects on health – is working to reach* a consensus with the food industry and government over the harmful* effects of a high sugar diet, and bring about a reduction in the amount* of sugar in processed foods. A Department of Health spokesman* said: "We know some people eat too many calories including sugar. Childhood obesity is at its lowest* since 1998 but more should be done. "Next week we will get expert scientific advice* on sugar which will help shape future thinking. We will consider these recommendations as part of this."
To reach = atteindre
Harmful = nocif, nuisible
The amount = la somme, la quantité
A spokesman = un porte-parole
At its lowest = (à son niveau) le plus bas
Advice = un conseil
To shape = façonner, modeler, tailler

Press Association
theguardian.com, Sunday 22 June 2014

'Sugar tax' needed to curb childhood obesity, say experts

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jun/22/sugar-tax-childhood-obesity-soft-drinks-junk-food

Le sucre est le principal responsable de l'obésité chez les enfants.

Sugar

Sugar is a carbohydrate and provides a source of energy. Sugar can take many forms including white, raw or brown sugar, honey or corn syrup. Too much sugar in the diet can contribute to health ...

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Sugar

Un site tout en anglais sur le sucre et ses effets sur la santé.