Tax the fat!

[CerberusIV]

It seems that the BMA (British Medical Association) are coming off the fence and want to tax high fat food.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2973914.stm

The bit at the end about the UK not levying VAT on most food, unlike other countries is quite interesting. Maybe this is why the UK government are so against harmonisation of taxes in the EU - they are too chicken to tax burgers!!

[MikeH]

Hmmm....

Really poor families tend to rely on high fat and sugar foods because they are cheap sources of energy, this obviously isn't healthy for them. What they need is either fresh fruit/veg etc to be cheaper so they can afford it or more money. Start taxing fat and they'll just eat more high sugar foods. Also the guy in the article who mentions education is right too. If people grow up on chips burgers crisps and chocolate that's what they will keep on eating.

[CerberusIV]

There have been report of problems with kids at school refusing to eat "healthy" school meals because they are used to chips and burgers by the time they get to school and won't change their eating habits.

On the other hand one of the arguments about taxing tobacco is that it causes health problems and the same can be said for some foods - or rather how much people eat of them.

[MRT144]

i agree, tax the fat. ill take my 150 lb self to fatburger now and eat 2 and a half lbs of meat thank you!

[Jac de Molay]

Originally posted by MikeH
Hmmm....

Really poor families tend to rely on high fat and sugar foods because they are cheap sources of energy, this obviously isn't healthy for them. What they need is either fresh fruit/veg etc to be cheaper so they can afford it or more money. Start taxing fat and they'll just eat more high sugar foods. Also the guy in the article who mentions education is right too. If people grow up on chips burgers crisps and chocolate that's what they will keep on eating.

I think lack of access to quality grocery stores in cities plays into this too. When there's the convenience of the local Stop n' Rob offering up twinkies and beef jerky, a lot of people probably won't go out of their way to buy fruits and veggies.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by CerberusIV
There have been report of problems with kids at school refusing to eat "healthy" school meals because they are used to chips and burgers by the time they get to school and won't change their eating habits.

I used to be just like that, but grew out of it when I left high school.

Speaking of which, I knew a kid in high school who would drink the gravy out of people's leftover poutine (with a straw).

[*End Is Forever*]

On the other hand one of the arguments about taxing tobacco is that it causes health problems and the same can be said for some foods - or rather how much people eat of them.

Well... you don't need to smoke to live!

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by *End Is Forever*


Well... you don't need to smoke to live!

You don't need to eat at McDonalds to live, either.

[MikeH]

No, but it's a fact that it's a lot cheaper to get your daily energy requirements from sugar/fat than from 'good' food.

So if you are really poor you might only be able to afford cheap fatty sugary foods. Which is fairly common here.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by MikeH
No, but it's a fact that it's a lot cheaper to get your daily energy requirements from sugar/fat than from 'good' food.

I don't believe that, but if it is true, it's not right to allow such a state to happen.

[MikeH]

Do some research, it's true.

Fat and sugar are really cheap.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by MikeH
Do some research, it's true.

Fat and sugar are really cheap.

So are vegetables and bulk grains.


You can probably buy enough rice, vegetables, or tofu to last you two or three meals for the same money it would cost to get a single meal at McDonalds.

[Kidlicious]

Yeah, whole food is more. Is that because of a supply limit, or the cost to bring to market?

[Bereta_Eder]

tax the fat! ingenious

[MikeH]

Originally posted by Osweld
So are vegetables and bulk grains.


You can probably buy enough rice, vegetables, or tofu to last you two or three meals for the same money it would cost to get a single meal at McDonalds.

We aren't talking about McDonalds, that would be out of the price range of these people. Fresh vegetables are very expensive for the amount of energy you get out of them.

If you read that article again you'll see that McDonalds is already subject to VAT in the UK.