Tackiling obesity with a Sugar Tax

[Zarniwoop]

So the Government want to re-introduce Sugar Tax, specifically to tax Fizzy Drinks to prevent obesity.

This is not going to work, making it more expensive is not going to stop kids wanting these oversweetened fizzy drinks. What they should be doing is forcing food manufacturers to put less in in the first place and stop labelling drinks as "Sugar-Free". The problem with "Sugar-Free" is that it technically isn't all they do is replace the sugar with chemical sugar alternatives which are even worse for you then the original sugar.

What is needed is reducing sugar levels, better labelling and using natural sugar alternatives rather than these artificial chemical sugars.
The other thing that annoys is about this is the Fruit Juices/cordials where they ADD sugar? WHY!!!! A lot of fruit has natural sugars there is no need to add more, except to make it more addictive.

As always the emphasis from the Government to solve a problem is to just tax it, rather than actually dealing with the underlying problem.

They are also talking now about blocking Fast Food restaurants etc being close to Schools/Leisure Centres, surely again the best way would be to provide cash incentives by way of reduced Corporation Tax for health food vendors on properties near those venues.

There is too much in the way of using Sticks and not enough in the way of using Carrots in the Governments approach to these issues. It is also worth remembering that the Government is made up of various Civil Service Departments who remain in place whoever is in power, giving them more control then the ministers responsible.

Given the current economic climate surely the way forward is not to make struggling families pay more than they need for food/drink but use more intelligent approaches and schemes to educate both the general population and manufacturers to use healthier choices.

Just my thoughts....

[Dat]

I agree, it does seem like a stick only approach. Some carrots or cheap carrot juice would be appreciated. Health drinks aren't very cheap. Sounds like one of those brainfarts politicians have in some preliminary mind-mapping seminar that journalists leap upon to stir public rage and indignation. I'll worry about my more expensive occasional Coke purchases when they happen.

[Snakes in the Tiki Lounge]

I was under the impression it was less a politician thing as much as it was some think tank or health group noisily lobbying for it? It feels very much like one of those civil servant wheezes that they roll out every few years when they think the ministers aren't paying attention to that never get anywhere due to being founded on poorly thought out, un-researched theories with no public support.