Consumer group wants tax on fatty foods
The growing problem of obesity could be tackled by the introduction of a tax on unhealthy foods, the National Consumer Council has claimed.
Link: ‘Tax on fatty foods will not boost health’
The NCC said it would help the National Health Service meet the costs posed by higher levels of obesity.
Earlier this week, experts warned that 40% of Britons could be clinically obese within a generation.
Children are thought to be particularly vulnerable to advertising.
The NCC is moving towards supporting an outright ban on food advertising for children.
‘If there is a case for tax tobacco to cover the costs to society there is a case for looking in depth at a variety of fiscal options to capture the true costs of poor diet,’ said NCC chief executive Ed Mayo.
The confectionery industry is predicted to grow from £6bn a year to £8bn by 2010.