Ok, ok that might seem a little dramatic but hear me out. The new sugar tax introduced in the UK in April got a lot of kickback, some accused it of targeting lower-income households, others saw it as a side step from bigger issues that the government should be dealing with. But there was one thing that I didn’t see mentioned and it’s about poop…stay with me here.

So I’ve had IBS for years now as part of Fibromyalgia and it’s fine, I know what makes my stomach freak out (goodbye American Cheese) and I don’t eat it. I know how to manage cramps and most of the time I know my body and the signals well enough to try and help myself before it gets too bad. I’ve been living well and not had too much trouble for the past 2 years. But what does this have to do with the Sugar Tax?

When the tax came in it meant that in particular sugary drinks were put at a higher rate to curb obesity. Sounds good? Not really. Because of this a lot of places switched out to diet or sugar-free substitutes. These substitutes contain Aspartame. Back when I initially got diagnosed with IBS and was cutting out foods that made me ill diet drinks were the first thing to go. Now, because of the sugar tax,  whenever I want to go out with friends I have to be careful that full fat isn’t substituted.

Is it the biggest problem in the world? No, but it can ruin a good time. Not only do I have to check, I’m also paying more for a reason I can’t help. A recent example I found was when ordering Cocktails. As a money saving tactic pubs and bars have been using sugar-free alternatives and not making it clear. I absolutely dread having to try and explain to them why I do need full fat and can definitely tell when someone thinks I’m lying!

I completely understand what the logic behind the tax was, even though I do agree with critics that it will only impact those on a lower income, but that’s a whole different blog post. This is just something I’ve noticed and partially serves as a warning to those of you who might have more sensitive stomachs.

Do you have IBS, has the Sugar Tax been a pain for you too? Let me know in the comments below!