to think that food taxes might be an idea?

[Breton1900]

The Government has just upped VAT - but given the epidemic of obesity sweeping the country and the propensity for children [and a lot of adults] to live on junk food would an additional tax on all processed foods that had high levels of fat, sugar,and/or salt be one way to discourage this predilection?

Its not only processed food that is high in fat/salt/sugar....would you then propose a tax on salt for eg?

No. It would be another way to penalise people who use these products responsibly.

YABU and it wont stop people eating junk food, same as it doesnt stop people smoking

Processed high fat- so hummous, peanut butter
Processed high salt- anchovies, capers
Processed high sugar- fruit smoothies, rasins

Some unhealthy food is already taxed:

"Food, except when supplied in the course of catering or a non essential item such as chocolate,
ice cream, alcoholic and fruit drinks and crisps."

goods which are subject to VAT

YABU

Things that people need to live, shouldn't be taxed.

Presumably no one binges on anchovies and peanut butter on a regular basis do they?

So what would be wrong with paying a little more for such items?

Don't understand why hummous and smoothies are high in fat and sugar as neither needs to be.

Probably right about some people though - the smoking example is a good one.

What relevence is "binging"?

I can eat a whole pot of peanut butter

Smoothies are classed as high sugar because they don't distinguish between natural sugars found in fruit and ordinary sugar.

no one sits and binges on turkey twizzlers either do they?

well if you don't count Kerry Katona

What should happen is that "healthy" foods are made more affordable.

"Things that people need to live, shouldn't be taxed"

You don't need junk food to live.

Perhaps I should have added the qualifier to sugar and specified refined sugars as opposed to those that occur naturally. Otherwise onions would have to be included!

"I can eat a whole pot of peanut butter"

If you eat an entire pot in one sitting that's binging.

amothersplaceisinthewrong. Good point but a lot of healthy foods are fairly cheap - fresh veg, fruit, pulses, grains. The problem is that so few people seem to know how to prepare a healthy meal and stay within a tight budget.

Going back to the peanut butter! When it's hot why not give an [older] child a peanut butter and salad sandwich along with some additional bits and pieces of salad veg and a glass of semi-skimmed milk? To a lot of people that would not be regarded as a "proper" meal for a child. Yet followed by some fresh fruit it's perfectly well balanced.

Healthy foods are often cheap yes but there is no point in me stocking up on tomatoes for example if nobody eats them. Just a waste.

My children would still be hungry if i gave them that meal for their evening meal.

I think the thing that is key is that people need educating in terms of BALANCED diet. And shown how to make things like chicken nuggets and chips from scratch. It may sound daft but until recently i didn't know how to do it myself.

I think everybody has reached the end of their tether with all this bossy boots politics. If people want to eat an entire bucket of turkey twizzlers good luck to them. There isn't any money for a long retirement so why the need for everybody to reach their 90th birthday?

I strongly feel that VAT should be on all processed and pre-prepared foods of all kinds ans no matter where eaten.

Pure raw foods that have minimal packaging and procesisng should be VAT free. I would like the money raised to be used to cut VAT to zero on all home heating fuels.

VAT should not be charged on the essentials of life but yes definitely on all luxuries including processed and pre-prepared foods because eating procesed and pre-prepared food is a luxury.

This way, people on low incomes would save money on the essentials of life and richer people would pay more tax on what they consume.

Better for health and environment. Taxes can sometimes do good by changing behaviour.

I sort of agree, but not to 'pure' bad stuff i.e sugar, salt, chocolate. Out of season/overseas stuff too. You know what I think would solve alot of problems? "UK" business' should have to have a certain % of production/employment in this country to be able to 'trade' here. Fair enough, it may cut the massive top end profits but they can't have their cake and eat it, it's not fair. And minimum wage should rise, esp. with regards to business' with massive profits. i.e till staff at BP/Shell or whatever should be paid in relation to the fact they are the backbone of a multi billion pound companies, it's sickening people like shop workers for tesco are minimum wage and year after year you hear about their profits.

and I think petrol should be taxed alot more, but public transport free.

The Scottish would revolt.