Should we have a Fat Tax? - Health, Diet and Fitness Today – Thursday 10th December 2009
Posted: 10/12/2009 at 09:42pm by Rich Leigh, founder of Fat Free Fitness
Health campaigners have called on the Government to tax fizzy drinks such as cola and lemonade as figures show no significant advance in the fight against childhood obesity.
More than one in five children in England is overweight or obese by the time they start school and, by the final year of primary school, nearly one in three children aged 10 or 11 is overweight, according to the data released by the Government’s National Child Measurement Programme in schools, which caused huge controversy when it was first introduced.
If things stay as they are, about 90 per cent of today’s children could become overweight or obese adults by 2050, with the bill to the taxpayer estimated at £50 billion – a hefty estimate, but remember, estimates are exactly that – merely guesses based on trends.
I personally think that taxing fatty and sugary foods is a good idea, and could benefit certain groups of society who rely on fast food and sugary drinks to feed their children, but hope that the tax would free some funding to bring down the cost of healthier food and drinks in a bid to encourage healthier diets.
Will this happen though, with such high levels of Government spending? If there is ever a ‘fat tax’, I’m sure the balance wouldn’t be redressed; the extra funds would just be seen to be a bonus, which is a huge shame and entirely counterproductive.
More education from the ground up about health and nutrition would fix the problem, instead, we’ve got lessons like Personal Social Education which teach us how to be accepting of all of the other changes in society – you know; the ones which don’t threaten lives.
Is healthy food too expensive?
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