The German Society for General Practice and Family Medicine (DEGAM) has expressly supported the announced legislative initiative to introduce a nationwide tax on sugary foods. For years, the organization has been campaigning for stronger measures in relationship prevention. The plans of the Prime Minister of Schleswig-Holstein envisage introducing a corresponding initiative in the Bundesrat in the first quarter of 2026. The society sees this as an important step towards advancing Germany in the prevention of chronic diseases.

The initiative aims to tax products that are particularly high in sugar. The president of the society emphasized that it is high time to catch up in relationship prevention. International findings show that changes in the framework conditions are more effective than the focus on individual behavioural changes. Such a tax would steer Germany in this direction and strengthen prevention. Excessive sugar consumption promotes chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tooth decay and obesity. These diseases not only cause individual suffering, reduced quality of life and shorter life expectancy, but also burden the health system and society with high costs.

The Society’s Prevention Section has therefore set out the reasons for the support in a statement. Family doctors observe the consequences of high sugar consumption in their practices on a daily basis. It is difficult to achieve individual behavioural changes as long as unhealthy foods are advertised cheaply and intensively. Similar to smoking, everyone knows about the risks, but the hidden sugar content in products makes it difficult to make conscious decisions. Regulatory measures are therefore necessary to reduce consumption.

International examples underpin the effectiveness of such taxes. In Great Britain, a comparable regulation has led to a significant reduction in the sugar content in processed foods. The company also emphasizes the aspect of social justice. Individual prevention approaches rarely reached the highest-risk groups, who often lived in difficult social conditions. A tax on sugary foods, on the other hand, as a classic public health measure, is effective in all classes. It thus contributes to more equality in prevention.

The society appeals to politicians and society to support the initiative. She sees the tax as a building block for a more comprehensive strategy against lifestyle diseases. Such measures could reduce the pressure on the health system and increase the quality of life of many people. The debate about the sugar tax is gaining momentum, as similar models have shown positive effects in other countries. In Germany, there is a lack of comparable regulations so far, which makes the initiative all the more urgent. The company offers its expertise to accompany the implementation and provide evidence-based recommendations.

Editor: X-Press Journalistenbüro GbR

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