In Europe, overweight and obesity are widespread and cause significant health and economic burdens. Out-of-home catering contributes substantially to this, as energy-dense meals are often consumed in restaurants, for example. Measures such as mandatory calorie labeling and the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB taxation) aim to promote healthier behavior. These are already being implemented in 117 countries worldwide, including the UK and France. While various studies show positive effects of both measures, comparative analyses regarding their effectiveness and the social differences in their impact are still lacking—especially in Germany.
To address this gap, a new study by the Professorship of Public Health an Prevention, led by Prof. Dr. Michael Laxy, investigates the potential health effects of SSB taxation and calorie labeling in menus. The research team, including research associate Dr. Karl Emmert-Fees, examined how these measures affect the reduction of obesity prevalence and cardiovascular mortality, as well as social inequalities, in Belgium and Germany. The results have now been published under the title “Estimating the health impact of menu calorie labelling policy and sugar-sweetened beverage taxation in two European countries: a microsimulation study” in the international journal European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The journal has an impact factor of 8.6.
Using microsimulation models, the study examined the health effects of the two policy interventions over a 20-year period (2022–2041). “In Germany, there are currently no comparable measures. We were therefore interested in what their introduction would mean, in order to be able to initiate a societal debate based on this,” explains research associate Dr. Emmert-Fees. “In public health and health sciences, such approaches are increasingly being evaluated with mathematical models to estimate their potential impact based on evidence.”
Three different scenarios were simulated: partial implementation of calorie labeling in large food service businesses (with at least 250 employees), full implementation in all relevant establishments, and various tax rates on sugar-sweetened beverages (10%, 20%, and 30%). Dr. Emmert-Fees emphasizes that calorie labeling is not about stigmatizing people in their food choices: “The goal is to enable informed decisions—based on knowledge of how calorie-dense certain meals are.”
The results show: comprehensive calorie labeling in all food service establishments leads to a significantly greater reduction in obesity prevalence in both Germany and Belgium than the introduction of an SSB tax. The measure is most effective when consistently applied, from large restaurant chains to small cafés. According to Dr. Emmert-Fees, this could reduce the prevalence of overweight in Germany by up to five percentage points—especially in socioeconomically disadvantaged population groups. In contrast, the sugar tax in Belgium has a greater impact on reducing cardiovascular mortality than calorie labeling. In Germany, however, this effect is less pronounced.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends implementing both instruments in the long term to reduce cardiovascular diseases and obesity in the population. “The positive health effects of these instruments are often underestimated—yet they can make an important contribution in the long run,” says Dr. Emmert-Fees. It is clear that such measures cannot be a silver bullet, but only part of a broader approach. “Various regulatory instruments should also be taken seriously from a political perspective. This requires further research to understand which combination of instruments is most effective—and political will to implement them.”
To the Homepage of the Professorship of Public Health and Prevention
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Michael Laxy
Professorship of Public Health an Prevention
TUM Campus im Olympiapark
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 München
Tel.: 089 289 24977
e-Mail: michael.laxy(at)tum.de
Dr. Karl Emmert-Fees
Professorship of Public Health an Prevention
TUM Campus im Olympiapark
Am Olympiacampus 11
80809 München
Tel.: 089 289 24981
e-Mail: karl.emmert-fees(at)tum.de
Text: Jasmin Schol
Photos: Private/Astrid Eckert/Unsplash