Should the UK tax fatty foods to coerce people into losing weight?

No

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by Dolores Moore

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Emphatically no, and what a prophetic question this poses. I have remarked frequently to many people that soon, in the UK, we will be arrested for eating chips, or french friend potatoes, as they are known elsewhere. The level of taxation in the UK is far and above many other countries, for items such as fuel, alcohol and tobacco. We do not deserve to be taxed for the basic human necessity, food. But more important, the civil liberties here are being eroded by an insidious form of social engineering that leaves the population powerless. One example that springs to mind is the recent ban on smoking in public places, despite the construction of air conditioned smoking areas. The law has caused a loss of revenue for many businesses in the entertainment sector and destroyed social interaction. Taxation of fatty food is only one step further along the road to depriving the individual of the right to make personal, informed choices about what they eat.

Jamie Oliver, chef and golden boy, spent a lot of time trying to show the value of good, fresh food in schools. He made some headway, yet still many school meals offer unhealthy choices, such as burgers, turkey twizzles, sausages and meatballs, fried foods and high fat salty meals. But the point is, that no matter what anybody with a 'cause' tries to do, cost and big business will win out on this one. Or will it, if those 'dangerous' foods are taxed and no longer offered to children? That is a bit of a digression, but important enough to consider in all the ramifications of the suggested legislation.

The matter of choice and sensible eating should be left to the individual, because imposing such a tax suggests a nanny state at best, an echo of the Third Reich at worst. Consider this. You cannot give your child a chocolate biscuit or bag of crisps in their lunch bag. You cannot give them juice or fizzy drinks. They must only eat fruit or raw vegetables at play time, they must only drink water. This is what is happening now, and no wonder some mothers made the news by going to their children's schools and pushing pies and chips through the railings. They may have appeared unwise, the choice of food unhealthy, but the issue was about personal freedom and the individual's right to choose. By denying those rights, by whatever means, is an infringement of civil liberties, a denial of intelligence, an enforced regime that insults.

Just how would such legislation be enforced? Will, as with the smoking ban, bands of uniformed 'jobsworths' follow people around and fine them on the spot for eating a burger? Double the money if it has cheese on top? Think of the cost of employing such a 'police' force, and the cost of criminalization of the fat law-breakers.

Oh, please no. We in the UK seem to have lost the way to respect and stand up for the rights of the individual in our society. There is enough information available for each one to make an informed choice. The underlying reasons may be to cut obesity figures and save the failing NHS some money, rather than a true concern for the health of the nation. It would serve all interests better to encourage children to play outside, to create more play areas and facilities that were accessible to all. It would also help if the useless, costly levels of management in the NHS were culled. Oh, and to respect the common sense of the citizens in the UK. We know that every food group is necessary, none is dangerous if eaten in moderation.
Credit us with some intelligence and leave people to get on with their lives. No, and no again to such a proposal.

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