U.K. Doctors Want to Tackle Obesity by Taxing Junk Food

Here in the U.S., there's been a lot of discussion about the drawbacks and virtues of taxing soda, but less debate about whether or not to tax the heck out of the entire bad-for-you-food sector. In the U.K., doctors are going straight for the gold, suggesting that the country could benefit from a "fat tax" on all unhealthy foods.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has suggested this solution, along with a smorgasbord of other options, including restricting fast food outlets from operating close to schools and curtailing the food industry's ability to advertise and sponsor sporting events, reports Britain's Channel 4 News.

Considering the fact that children in the U.K. eat mountains of junk food every year, as evidenced by this photo of the crap a British kid hoovers down annually, something clearly needs to be done to change the country's eating habits. Just like in the U.S., obesity in Great Britain is developing into a full-blown epidemic.

But the debate, of course, continues to rage. On the one hand, putting such taxes and restrictions in place is a way to crack down on food companies that put profit above all other considerations, including the health of their customers. On the other hand, such rules and regulations are seen by some as moves toward a "nanny state" in which the government tells residents how they should live their lives. There's little in life more personal than eating, so the fact that the proposed "nannying" rules would impinge on food makes the topic a particularly hot potato.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, who recently lambasted chef Jamie Oliver's attempts to get kids eating healthier in schools, was one of those who believes a tax on junk food and other such strategies are the ministrations of a overreaching government. He stated that government's role is "not to lecture people, not to nanny them, not constantly to be legislating or taxing them." He wants people to take responsibility for their own diets and learn to eat unhealthy things in moderation.

But if, as former FDA commissioner David Kessler has shown, fatty, salty, and sweet foods are physiologically addictive, asking people to buck up and resist the constant temptations put in their way manufacturers is a bit of a tall order. Rules that help them in that goal, whether by making the unhealthy food more expensive or putting it out of reach in certain contexts, may well be worth considering.

Photo: mxmstryo via Flickr