There is no ‘obesity epidemic’, the only thing which can be classified as such as epidemic is a disease, and obesity is no such thing; it is caused by eating too much, and doing too little exercise. Fat people choose to prefer pizza to running. It is that simple.
According to the Government’s favourite mouthpiece the BBC:
‘In the UK, 64% of adults are classed as being overweight or obese’
…and now we have Obesity Tsars, a committee of experts that advise the Government on the levels of sugar in food. Now, we have identified the problem, and we have experts, there can be only one result, because:
Problem + Committee = Action
And
Action = Tax
The First Stage prescribed by our experts will always be better education on the matter. ‘Change for Life’ is an example of the education processed. This programme involves a new department within the local authority in conjunction with the NHS, whose role it is to publish a few hundred thousand leaflets and buy advertising space on radio and television. This will never work as no-one will ever say ‘hang on, I heard a radio advert today that has changed my mind forever, I will forgo the cheese crusted deep pan cheese feast pizza and have a salad instead’.
And so, we move to Stage Two, increased regulation. Always done in conjunction with the industry, we will have mandatory labelling of products. This will of course require additional millions to administer, and will require yet further education to tell us what the labels mean. This will fail. No-one will ever say ‘crumbs that Traffic Light label on my doner kebab is an Angry Amber colour so I will have an apple instead’.
So that brings us, inevitably, to Stage Three; tax. Food will get taxed according to their sugar and fat levels. We will be told by the Government that this is necessary to act as a financial incentive for people to eat healthier, and a method of paying for the cost of the obesity epidemic.
Of course, this will deter no-one and sales of pies and pasties, cakes and jellies will all trot along quite happily, enjoying the extra costs involved and marking up accordingly and the supermarkets will be happy participants because they will enjoy higher (and interest bearing) revenues, and the NHS will be happier because they will have greater funding, and the Councils will enjoy the extra benefits of greater staff numbers.
To have an Indian takeaway or not is not a national concern, it is a freedom of choice. What I order from the menu is a matter between my conscience and the waiter, it is not an opportunity for the State to tax.
They’re already floating the idea of a fizzy drinks tax. They’re already cranking up a campaign for a salt tax, a sugar tax and a fatty-foods tax.
They are using the template of tobacco. The campaign against alcohol is already well underway.
These are NOT medical campaigns. They are run by public-relations professionals who are funded by the government. They are really just preparing the public relations and political ground for new taxes.
The media is compliant and will report anything these ‘fake charities’ say as fact. If challenged the media will defend themselves by saying they are reporting the views of medics and scientists – which they are not.
Citizens should check how much of their local NHS money – and that of local councils – is being spent on what is campaigning for political change. It should be illegal.
Why do we now see campaigns for taxes on salt, sugar and fat? Simple – tobacco revenues are declining and they have to line up new taxes. These media campaigns that the govt is whipping up are all about getting us ready to accept tax rises on food.