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The Debate

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According to the times, the government is considering the introduction of duty taxes on fast food, sweets and even dairy products (such as full fat milk). The logic behind the ‘fat tax’ lies in the massive increases the NHS is spending on healthcare for the clinically obese. But is it fair? This will hit lower income families hard. Most lower income families struggle to fit a healthy varied diet into their tight budgets as it is. The proposed changes are meeting a lot of opposition,

"The idea that any particular food is bad for you is out of date and simplistic. A balanced diet can include snacks and treats - moderation is the key."

Martin Paterson’s objection to the considered changes is that the taxes are patronising and give the impression that people are not smart enough to make their own decisions.

But are they? Does an individual have the right to use up tax payer’s money through increased need for healthcare?

Anyone who has seen ‘Supersize me’ will see how much damage eating fast food can inflict. For those who haven’t, a healthy early-middle aged man ate only McDonald’s food for a month. The doctors compared the damage to his health as on the same level as smoking. The duties on tobacco and alcohol have now of course become widely accepted, and the Government is due to introduce a wide sweeping ban on smoking (see ‘The Big Draw – The smoking ban’) which hasn’t met a tiny percentage of the opposition that a ‘fat tax’ would.