A report of a most alarming nature caught my eye today. I don't mind telling you, dear readers, that I'm quite distraught. If Dr David Walker gets his way we're all doomed.
David Walker? Who's he? He's a Scottish GP who wants to bring misery to millions by taxing chocolate.
Oh yes, your eyes are not deceiving you. This white coated wowser wants to make us pay more for what is essentially an entire good group.
'Dr Walker, who is also a trained food scientist and nutritionist, told the BBC news website: "Obesity is a mushrooming problem. We are heading the same way as the United States.
"There is an explosion of obesity and the related medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes. I see chocolate as a major player in this, and I think a tax on products containing chocolate could make a real difference." '
Difference to the tax coffers, yes. Does he really think anyone is going to think twice before buying that bag of Revels or that delicious Twix?
Not surprisingly the idea has ready met with some resistance.
'Julian Hunt, of the Food and Drink Federation, said: "Introducing regressive taxes on the foods that consumers love would result only in lighter wallets, not smaller waists - particularly as we already have to pay VAT on all our chocolate purchases. '
But don't panic. Dr Walker will be taking his proposal to a British Medical Assocation meeting in Scotland where it will be discussed then pushed to one side. I can't really see it going anywhere.
You might want to stock up at the weekend, though. Just in case.
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5 comments:
Oh NO!
What next - a tax on alcohol?
Surely not!
"Obesity is a mushrooming problem...." he says...then surely the tax should be on mushrooms?
Actually it shouldn't since I also love mushrooms.
I heard this buffoon on the radio this morning and then had to "check" my chocolate drawer for comfort. Since choc has a pretty good shelf life I see this as only increasing chocolate purchasing in the short term as we stockpile. Then when the proposals are thrown out we'll have lots of extra chocolate to eat before it goes out of date. That should really help.
That is outrageous! Where is the study that suggests that chocolate is to blame for obesity? Surely the more calorie-dense fats etc are more to blame?
Dr Walker clearly has never had period pain and doesn't realise that chocolate is medicinal. Therefore it would be inhumane to tax us, criminal really.
What a fool - has he somehow missed all that lovely research about antioxidants etc in dark chocolate. If he was at all successful I think we would see lots of "antioxidant bars" (something like that vitamin water which is just cordial with a "healthy" name) or perhaps a black market in untaxed chocolate.
Oh and just to prove how lovely it is - we have been told that dentists recommend chocolate over other sorts of confectionery and juice for kids as it "melts off the teeth". So there silly doctor.
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