There be many reasons why a person is over-weight but I am aiming to tackle just one of those reasons – an unhealthy diet. I suggest that if people’s diet were more healthy then fewer people would be overweight, leading to two things. Firstly that fewer resources would be required to treat obesity and secondly that fewer Covid patients would be over-weight, giving a greater chance of recovery. A net saving on NHS resources together with a healthier population.
How to encourage more healthy eating? My solution recognises the fact that much food in people’s shopping trollies is high in fat, sugar and calories and so unhealthy. It is also often inexpensive. The government has promised to outlaw the ‘buy-one-get-one-free’ offers and to do something about advertising and placement of unhealthy options, I propose going one stage further.
I propose that all food and drink is subject to VAT but that fresh fruit and vegetables and non-processed food generally be zero-rated. In other words, processed food such as biscuits and cakes but also ready-meals be made more expensive and fresh food cheaper by comparison. Some food, such as crisps, confectionery and soft drinks, are already subject to VAT at the standard rate, this being an attempt at discouragement. But I feel that does not go far enough to discourage unhealthy eating. Nor does the VAT charged on those items currently go directly to treating obesity.
I leave it to NHS nutritionalists to decide what should be zero-rated, but by imposing VAT on food, together with government planned restrictions on advertising and special offers and by earmarking at least a good portion of the revenue generated to the NHS for fighting obesity we have a win-win situation. Making unhealthy food more expensive will make it less attractive; taxing food can bring more resources to the NHS; both these ways can and should reduce the scourge of obesity.
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