According to a presentation at the British Medical Association (BMA) conference, chocolate should face a similar tax to alcohol and cigarettes to try and drive down obesity statistics and prevent the type 2 diabetes epidemic.
Putting a tax on chocolate would label it as an unhealthy food that can lead to weight issues, including diabetes development and higher blood pressure. Chocolate is an addiction amongst many people, and binge-eating is more and more common.
However, a chocolate tax is unlikely to be instated if votes are anything to go by. One family GP, Dr. Walker, reportedly commented: " Obesity is a mushrooming problem. We are heading the same way as the United States. There is an explosion of obesity and the related medical conditions, like type two diabetes. I see chocolate as a major player in this, and I think a tax on products containing chocolate could make a real difference."
However, Food and Drink Federation spokesman Julian Hunt reportedly commented: "While good for grabbing headlines, there is no evidence to suggest that such ' fat taxes' would actually work in reality."
Chocolate tax to control obesity and diabetes
Fri, 13 Mar 2009
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