Should Chocolate Be Taxed?

Should we tax chocolate to tackle obesity? Dr David Walker has called for chocolate to be taxed in the same way as alcohol and cigarettes to tackle increasing levels of obesity. The Scottish GP, who will put his proposal to colleagues at an upcoming BMA conference, said chocolate used to be seen as a treat but has become a harmful addiction for some. Do you agree with his idea? (link via guardian.co.uk) My view is that we have enough items taxed in this country and I don't think taxing chocolate would discourage people from eating too much of it. For example, there is a huge tax on tobacco but people still smoke. And what about the people who control their cravings and don't eat too much chocolate? Why should they have to pay more for their chocolate treat just because some people can't control the urge to eat too much chocolate? What do you think?

Jamie's Ministry of Food - Pass It On

Did you watch Jamie Oliver's new series called, Jamie's Ministry of Food, on channel 4 tonight? It was both fascinating and disturbing to watch. (If you missed it, you can watch it again via Free Catch-Up on Channel 4 Shows) This is how the Channel 4 website describes it: In Britain we spend more than £2 billion a year on ready meals. Fewer people than ever before are cooking from scratch and obesity is at record levels. Now, inspired by the wartime Ministry of Food that helped people to make the most of their rations, Jamie Oliver wants to start a food revolution to get people in Britain cooking. Jamie travels to Rotherham to meet one of the fiercest critics of his school dinners campaign, so-called ‘Burger Mum’ Julie Critchlow, who passed junk food through school railings to hungry children. Jamie wants Julie, who is actually a good cook herself, to help him to inspire others to cook at home. The plan is to teach a small group ten simple meals that they can pass on to others who, in turn, will also spread the word. If it works, he wants to get the whole town cooking and kick-off a nationwide campaign. Jamie's Ministry of Food The show highlighted the problem regarding how many adults can't cook - at all. The most distressing scenes were with Natasha who admitted she never cooked any meals for her two children. They were just given takeaways and would sit on the floor to eat the food with their fingers (no cutlery was used at all). I felt so sad for those children especially when Natasha opened her fridge and showed the bottom drawers (where fruit is usually kept) were stuffed full with sweets (candy). It's no wonder that her five-year-old has already had to have rotten teeth removed by the dentist! How sad is that?! It's true that eating healthy isn't cheap (Natasha is on benefits) but it is possible to spend the money on real food instead of junk. Even Jamie seemed overwhelmed by the prospect of teaching Natasha and the other adults how to cook when they were all struggling with minimal skills (they didn't even know how to judge when water was boiling or what simmer meant!). And of course their low income and depressing life style, made everything more difficult. I have huge respect for Jamie Oliver and his ambitious campaigns that he is always so passionate about. I think this new idea for people to learn how to cook and teach others (Pass it On) is quite inspiring. Let's hope it is successful. It certainly won't be easy as was evident in the first show tonight but I'm sure Jamie will meet the challenge.