The UK government wants to help people eat more healthily. It asked a food expert to come up with some ideas. The expert, Henry Dimbleby, created the National Food Strategy and presented it to the government. The strategy has two main ideas. One is a tax on food with salt and sugar. The media called this a "snack tax". The second one is to give poorer people free vegetables. Mr Dimbleby warned that what we eat, and how it is produced, is doing "terrible damage" to the environment and our health. Poor diet leads to many deaths and puts a lot of pressure on hospitals.
The UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is not happy with the strategy. He does not like the idea of "extra taxes on hard-working people". He said the strategy could increase the price of snack food by up to 13 per cent. He added that the best way to tackle obesity was for people to exercise and eat less junk food. Mr Dimbleby said: "With the right leadership from government, it is well within our power to change the system so it makes both us and the planet healthier." He added that the country had to build a better food system "for our children and grandchildren".
thesun.co.uk, 15 July 2021
Questions:
a) Do you think a 'snack tax' is a good idea?
b) Would having a 'snack tax' make you eat fewer snacks?
c) What do you think is the best way to tackle the increasing problem of obesity?