What if we increase tax on unhealthy foods and use the money gained to subsidise healthy food?

Since the main argument behind not eating healthily is the cost.

(yeah, I’ve been reading the airline weight thread)

That would be one of my policies if I were in power, and in a similar vein (even though it would be very unpopular) raise the cost of petrol in inner cities (to subsidise buses and trains) and reduce it in rural communities where public transport or bicycles arent feasible.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcAqR-Hs9II[/video]

Not all unhealthy food makes you fat and not all healthy food doesn’t.

Fail.

What if we increase tax on unhealthy foods and use the money gained to subsidise healthy food?

Since the main argument behind not eating healthily is the cost.
Is the main argument cost? Others exist such as convenient/lazy, lack of cooking skills etc. Also what do you define as healthy? Loads of healthy ingredients can be combined to make either healthy or unhealthy foods.

Or do you just plan to tax take aways and subsidise apples?

What if we increase tax on unhealthy foods and use the money gained to subsidise healthy food?

First you’d have to define healthy food.
For instance one set of food nutters think that rice is unhealthy and lard is great, and another set of food nutters think the contrary.

It’s not the job of government to control or influence people how to live their lives. They poke their noses in too much already. I understand and appreciate the sentiment, but it’s a slippery slider slope.

but what if we tax slippery slopes, banana skins and roller skates and subsidise steps, handrails and sensible shoes?

Also what do you define as healthy?

Items that are low in saturated fat, sugar, salt… that sort of thing – more comes into it, somebody else will have to give a more detailed criteria, remember this was just a thought.

Others exist such as convenient/lazy, lack of cooking skills etc

Going of on a tangent, but why do all take aways serve unhealthy food (awaits mention of a fancy healthy take away somewhere fancy)?

IMO cost is the main factor. Take this as an example, my lunch break option 1: a cheese and ham pannini with tomatoes – £3.25 or option 2: a chip butty with BBQ sauce (btw BBQ sauce is much better than ketchup) £1.70

There is no such thing as an unhealthy food. There is such a thing as an unhealthy diet.
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If I need 6 mars bars to fuel a 200 mile ride should I pay the same tax as someone who has 6 mars bars and then sits on the sofa all day? (I’m all in favour of a tax on fatties by the way,but I think we should tax the person,not the food,no idea how)
Those mars are high in fat and sugar, which is just what I need to fuel a long ride, I would have to eat a lot of apples to get the same effect.
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BTW, healthy takeaway, that jacket potatoe shop near Waverly station. A Scottish takeaway which doesn’t batter everything! The deep fried pizza slice from Peebles chippy is rather good too…

maccruiskeen 🙂

Would we bothered and even having these sort of discussions if we didn’t have a publicly funded NHS and instead people who chose unhealthy lifestyles had to pay higher health insurance premiums?

Saturated fat? Cheese and butter then.

Salt? Breakfast cereals.

Sugar? Dried fruit.

Granted, none are exactly good for you in excess but all are perfectly acceptable in a sensible diet and shouldn’t be taxed.

Take this as an example, my lunch break option 1: a cheese and ham pannini with tomatoes – £3.25 or option 2: a chip butty with BBQ sauce (btw BBQ sauce is much better than ketchup) £1.70

How were the chips cooked, your healthy option would also be dripping in fat from the cheese in it?

Items that are low in saturated fat, sugar, salt… that sort of thing – more comes into it, somebody else will have to give a more detailed criteria, remember this was just a thought.

how do you define low? some things may appear high but overall be lower than some others?

As above do you want to tax flour, milk, eggs, cheese and potatoes. They can be used to create some amazingly healthy/unhealthy meals??

In the end you should perhaps look at the type of place you shop, you are paying £3.25 for a cheese toastie with a fancy name. The chip shop is charging a fairer price.

Would we bothered and even having these sort of discussions if we didn’t have a publicly funded NHS and instead people who chose unhealthy lifestyles had to pay higher health insurance premiums?

The US have been running a long term trial of this – it turns out having an insurance-based health care system has resulted in them having the healthiest (and most slim and attractive) population on the planet.

Serious answer: A bad diet is a symptom of ill health not the cause of it. Its too black and white to look at food in general (or any type of food) as a cause of ill health