should unhealthy food be taxed more than healthy food?

Question

tesco/asda etc must sell vegetables at cost price

Answer 1

Yes. I could be a lot healthier, but I can't afford it. It's cheaper to buy junk food.

Answer 2

The question is what is unhealthy food? Are sugars unhealthy? What about honey? What about pasta? Fruits and vegetables are healthy unless they contain pesticides? And by frying, we can turn healthy food into unhealthy food at home. Imported Seafood is laden with lead, and other chemicals that are more harmful to us than if we pig out on donuts and potato chips? Is coffee or chocolate good or bad for us? And milk is another story.

So the definition of what is healthy becomes ambiguous.

Answer 3

I thought you had a choice to buy and eat healthy and unhealthy food?

I suppose if people wanted healthy food, then fast food outlets would go out of business?

I try to eat a balanced diet and a McDonalds is a treat for us and the kids, but once in a blue moon. If you are able to balance your diet, all types of food can co-exist in the market place.

It would be a tax on people with low intelligence, ie.. the ones that buy too much unhealthy food. Stands to reason that eating too much unhealthly food ain't good for you.

Labour have put up over 40 taxes by the same %. Don't give them any more ideas.

Answer 4

There are no unhealthy foods that could be taxed, there are unhealthy quantities of foods and unhealthy components (trans fats, additives)

Answer 5

And who is going to decide which is healthy and which isn't. And I don't agree that unhealthy is cheaper. Fresh fruit & veg is a lot cheaper than processed stuff.A banana is cheaper than a choc bar.Water is cheaper than fizzy drink.The list goes on.Oh I forget - they would involve more than a few minutes in a microwave, some of that cooking palava.Whatever next.

Answer 6

Unhealthy food tends to be the more inexpensive end of the market...heavier taxes on cheaper foods???

Not sure that's the way to go.

Tell you what...let's make this easy....abolish all taxes on fruit, vegetables and fish.

Problem solved!

Oh....and leave Spell Checks Twinkies alone!!!

Answer 7

Not sure even that would work. People eat what they like. Look at cigarette taxes..doesn't seem to affect those who crave them. And it is certain that people crave food they like. It would be better to educate people on healthy eating.

Answer 8

We'd starve. Soul food would be taxed out of existence. Imagine, bridies, Scotch pies, haggis, black pudding, d/f mars bars. Doesn't bear thinking about.

Answer 9

Yes - and healthy food should be cheaper - have you seen the price of fruit nowadays?

Answer 10

Food is not "healthy" or "unhealthy", only it's use is.

Taxes go to politicians, not to solutions.