Is more tax the way forward?
Jamie Oliver has told a select committee that more taxation is not the way to curb the UK’s obesity epidemic. By showing the committee the difference in sugar content in drinks before and after the tax, the famous chef and health campaigner lauded the progress that has been made. But he was quick to iterate that many milk-based drinks have fallen outside the sugar tax, making them the new priority.
He also urged the Government to focus on more positive message about healthy eating rather than simply improving taxes. He pointed out that vegetables are not promoted at all – highlighting a lack of basic food education throughout the country.
Indeed, it must be remembered that simply penalising people and threatening them with higher taxes will not produce the best results. But by arming those same people with the correct information, a far greater change can be made – and it is up to us as healthcare professionals to be part of that change too.
