In the interests of transparency I shall make a declaration of interests.

I am in favour of the government getting as much of its revenue as possible by taxing goods and services I never or rarely use. So, from my perspective, sky high taxes on cigarettes, alco-pops and Big Macs are the way to go.

But would a tax on unhealthy foods (A "Big Mac Tax" or BMT) improve the health of the nation as some are now suggesting?

See:

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26233022-2682,00.html

Quote:

"TAX breaks for grocers selling fresh fruit and vegetables, and tax rises for fast food should be imposed to make people healthier, an Adelaide health expert [Prof. Mark Daniel] says."

I am sceptical. A far bigger cause of disease is not the food we eat but our sedentary life styles. To quote Doctors Diane Dahm and Jay Smith, both from the Mayo Clinic:

"When it comes to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, an inactive lifestyle ranks high...Poor physical fitness was a greater cardiovascular risk factor than were high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity AND family history." (Emphasis in original)

"...Moderately fit SMOKERS with high cholesterol ... lived longer than did healthy but sedentary non-smokers" (Emphasis added)

(p35 of MAYO CLINIC FITNESS FOR EVERYBODY)

Bear in mind that cardiovascular disease – which includes stroke – is Australia's single biggest killer.

Exercise inter alia also reduces the risk of getting diabetes, slows down age-related cognitive impairment and increases bone density. If there ever was a wonder drug it's exercise. (ibid, p34)

Using the same logic as Prof. Daniel it follows that we ought to tax those things that make us sedentary such surfing the internet or watching TV or just sitting in chairs.

So let's forget about the BMT.

Impose an internet, TV, cinema and chair tax instead.

An added advantage of a TV tax is that kids would be exposed to fewer fast food ads. So we could kill two birds with one stone

More seriously,

For the sake of our kids:

--More phys ed in school

--More walking and less being taxied around

--Set an example for your kids by being physcially active - go for walks with them

--Wouldn't if be GREAT if we had safe cycle tracks separated from the cars so that kids could cycle to school?

The above will achieve much more than a Big Max Tax.

Wasnt that the premise behind the "oh so difficult" wholesale sales tax that was replaced by the GST. Luxuries and damaging products could be taxed higher than health foods and necessities.

Sounds like a good idea to me. A soft drink tax was being proposed in the US to help reduce both their obesity and their deficit but I think "free marketeers" squashed it as "distorting the market" and unfair.

I preferred the way things were when I was a kid and soft drinks and fast food were treats and appreciated. Now its just normal and everyone takes it for granted and it is killing us. Another example of capitalisms greed driven destruction of our health and societies.

Mikk “Another example of capitalisms greed driven destruction of our health and societies.”

So you are in favour of sucking on the teat of the nanny state whilst some faceless bureaucrat spends your taxes and a remotely located “expert”, who has never met you and does not know you, makes your dietary decisions for you?

Personally, I would rather make my own way through life and sack all the bleeding experts…

especially the “experts” who proclaimed the danger of chicken eggs as a source of cholesterol (are chook eggs on the list of damaging foods?) but did not understand the benefits of chicken eggs for vision protection and as a source for a host of other vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

I also recall the well known “expert”, William McBride recommended thalidomide for pregnant women in the 1960s… with disastrous results

Somehow I cannot bring myself to blame “greedy capitalism” for the failings and gullibility of weak minded individuals who will not deal with their own slothenly pursuit of convenience food.

Actually we eat extremely nourishing food extremely cheaply.

Eggs
Fruits
Mixed Vegies

When we eat out it is usually steaks with light sauces

It is like this.. obesity is 30% exercise, 70% food intake…. Reduce the intake and you reduce your weight.

I have not been into a Maccas or KFC for a long time but do find myself occasionally buying the “fast food” delights of Subway… but we always go for modest portions and eat earlier in the day, rather than late at night.

It is all about people making sensible choices about their lives, instead of thinking government should make the choices for them.

Btw… Russia still reflects the legacy of the old USSR who oversaw high levels of alcoholism and there the government told you what you would eat (which was very little because the collectives could not grow enough food) hence USSR produced the unhealthiest of individuals still with an average life expectancy of 66 years versus Australia (81 1/2) or UK/USA (78).

Without the capitalist driven advertising and marketing industry "experts' misleading us that fast food etc is fine and the denial that they dont try to maximise the amounts we eat, maybe we wouldnt need the "experts" from the "nanny state' to try to change our ways. The reality is that obesity and bad health are endemic, rising and costing us all a fortune. And for what? So Maccas and KFC can make the big bucks. Their whole reason for existing is to maximise profits and the only way they do that is by selling more burgers. If they cant make us eat more (even if its unhealthy) then they will fail and go out of business. Its just the way capitalism works.

They use our psychology against us and use lies and distortions to fool us that they are not into profiteering and they only care about our satisfaction and happiness. And people like Col rouge accuse anyone who falls for it as "the failings and gullibility of weak minded individuals". Well good for you for being so strong willed Col but to say that everyone who is not like you is some "weak minded individual" is to be blind to human diversity and ignorant of reality.

Nobody ever got fat from not eating.
Are you being forced to eat.
Family values have gone out the window.
Nobody knows how much you eat or when.
Blame it on some unknown medical condition.
Do you have will power, or won't power.
obese people cost everybody higher medical costs, and insurance.
Now we have truck type ambulances with lifting gear.
Blaming a food supplier or taxing them won't do a thing, the solution has got to come from within.