Was the chip tax successful, or how could obesity be reduced in Hungary?

The situation is not better, it is worse and it keeps getting worse. If you look at the numbers, you can see that obesity is a growing problem. In 2019, every third Hungarian was considered overweight and 24% obese. The rate of obesity in Hungary exceeded the EU average of 16% and even increased compared to 21% in 2014. The situation is particularly worrying for men, as the number of obese people has increased much faster.

Young people are no exception. Unfortunately, overweight and obesity are becoming more and more common among young people, and in the last twenty years, obesity rates have increased significantly for both sexes. A quarter of 15-year-old Hungarian children struggle with this problem, which is a very high rate compared to European countries.

The public health product tax as a possible solution and its problems

One of the main goals of the introduction of the public health product tax (NETA) in 2011 was to reduce the consumption of foods that can significantly contribute to obesity, thereby improving the domestic public health situation. When it was introduced in 2011, the tax basically covered soft drinks, chocolates and biscuits containing added sugar, as well as chips and other snacks with a high salt content. The range of products affected by the tax has expanded significantly since then.

There are basically three main problems with NETA as a tool intended for the treatment of public health problems.