U.K. Hopes to Implement ‘Fat Tax’
You know what we need more of? Regressive taxation. I’m sick of poor people not paying their fair share. On top of that, poor people are fat, which is also sickening. You can imagine that I was greatly relieved to read this article from the BBC News about the push for a “fat tax” on popular, cheap foods that are typically high in sugar or saturated fat (hence the cheap factor). Experts say a VAT of 17.5% would reduce heart disease deaths by 1.7% in that country. Though such a “Nanny State” tax would increase families’ weekly grocery tabs by nearly five per cent, the expected 1.7% reduction in deaths translates to 3,000 lives saved annually - and a reduced health care burden on the government.
Enter nutrition expert Ben Pratt, aka The Voice of Reason in this article. Pratt points out that rather than penalize the purchase of cheap, processed foods - which would inevitably hurt lower-income families - the British government ought to reduce the cost of healthy foods. Subsidizing vegetables and fruits, rather than hiking up the cost of affordable foods high in refined oils, sugars and flour, would help families include healthy fare in their diets. (About one-third of heart disease cases are due to a poor diet high in fat and sugar.) But seriously, why make healthy foods affordable? We should just make everything expensive! That’ll teach those undisciplined poor people a thing or two.
Noah Slater Photo (CC)
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POSTED IN: Across the Pond, Diet, Food, Morning News, Nutrition, Politics, Weight Loss
8 opinions for U.K. Hopes to Implement ‘Fat Tax’
bonnie
Jul 13, 2007 at 4:20 pm
Wow, that is so ridiculous that it blows my mind.
Sara
Jul 13, 2007 at 4:22 pm
No kidding, huh?
Moe
Jul 13, 2007 at 6:32 pm
I like the subsidies on the veggies. Its so unfair corn gets all the fun in the US; lettuce, celery, tomatoes, and cucumbers need love too you know!
Brian
Jul 14, 2007 at 5:16 am
I know from personal experience that when you change your diet to include more whole and natural foods you food budget can go up. I also agree with Pratt that we should make whole foods more accessible, but don’t think subsidies will do it nor do I think taxing is a good idea — bureaucrats :( — there is a bigger problem than price.
First, people tend to be lazy and fast pre-made or package food is easily accessible, besides being cheap, and people don’t cook at home — ‘Don’t have time’, ‘Don’t know how’, ‘To much work’ — insert any of a million excuses here, and as my old coach used to say “excuses are like as…” well I guess that’s not appropriate here…
Second, places like the Golden Arches have added so much sugar to their food that people have become addicted not to just to them but to sugar in general. It took me a long time to realize why I was craving things that were really crappy for me, and falling off the wagon so many times, but after a lot of reading, sugar detox, and making a real change in how I looked at food and lived my life, I was able to make significant changes in my health. It wasn’t easy, and I think for a lot of people that motivation is the real challenge. Until they want to change they won’t…
–Sorry, hoping off the soap box now–
Anyway, great article and people need places like this to go to and make them start thinking about their choices or help them remember why they made their choice…
Raymond Johnson
Jul 14, 2007 at 11:03 am
Yes, it does seem like they’re putting the right money in the wrong place, and the wrong money in the right place.
Sara
Jul 14, 2007 at 11:59 am
Brian,
“….everyone’s got one.” ;)
Hop on your soap box any time - nice food for thought. (Wow, did I really just drop that cliche bomb? Sorry.)
Ray,
Well put!
Sara
Jul 14, 2007 at 12:01 pm
Moe, regarding corn, you should see the indie “King Corn”.
Duke
Jul 25, 2007 at 7:53 am
The U.S. government is subsidizing corn (syrup) and soy (oil, often partially hydrogenated). That makes these ingredients cheap for manufacturers. When we change farm policy and subsidize fruits/veggies instead, the food companies will begin to feature these ingredients in their products instead.
Face it, the public is going to buy what the manufacturers and food chains want to sell us– business will do its darndest to make okra taste great and seem cool if that’s where the money is!
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