In a report published Monday, members of a British parliament health committee asked Prime Minister David Cameron to drop his opposition to imposing a 20 percent tax on sugary drinks, BBC News reports. The cross-party committee wrote:
The scale and consequences of childhood obesity demand bold and urgent action. We believe that if the government fails to act, the problem will become far worse. We urge the Prime Minister to make a positive and lasting difference to children's health and life chances through his childhood obesity strategy. [House of Commons Health Committee]
"This was not an inquiry in the conventional meaning of the word," association director general Gavin Partington said in a statement Monday. "It was part of the PR campaign by the health lobby to persuade ministers to introduce a tax on soft drinks."
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