Time to tax chocolate?

The Lanarkshire based GP, Dr David Walker, claimed that some people meet their total daily calorie requirement by just eating chocolate, and this is in addition to their other meals.

He also said that chocolate had now become a harmful addiction for some people, whereas previously it had been regarded as an occasional treat.

There is some truth in what he says but to tax food is a dangerous road to take, for where do we draw the line? Taking this argument to its logical conclusion would signal the introduction of taxation on all high fat foods.

Eating nutritious fare such as nuts, cheese or sunflower seeds can give us numerous health benefits, but all these have a high fat percentage which would result in weight gain if too much was consumed. Even if we take chocolate as an example, there are health benefits that come with eating small amounts of dark chocolate which contain high levels of cocoa solids. Not all chocolate is the same.

There are many reasons why the UK population is rapidly becoming fatter, here are some:-

Increased portion size: We eat bigger portions now than our previous generations. Ask for a glass of wine in a restaurant and you’ll probably receive a 175ml measure, sometimes even 250ml. A few years ago the standard measure of wine was the 125ml glass. Pay for your fuel at the garage and look at the chocolates next to you. How many, on the most visible shelf, are NOT ‘double size’, ‘jumbo size’ or ‘duo’? And don’t get me started on the size of portions that are sold at the cinema...

Not cooking from scratch: Convenience food (processed garbage) has allowed many people to eat every day of their lives without preparing a single ingredient. As a nation, we are unaware of what’s in our ready-made meals, and therefore - as a society - our intake of fat, salt, flavourings and additives is far too high.  Cooking from scratch is the only way of knowing exactly what you are about to eat. Even if it’s a cake that you’ve lovingly baked, least you’ll know that it doesn’t contain preservatives, colourings or other unwanted ingredients.

Leading sedentary lives: Most of us drive, or get driven, to work, then sit at a desk most of the day, get transported back home and then watch the telly. We don’t move half as much as past generations and we’ve become lazy because of the invention of labour saving devices. Therefore, we need to make a conscious effort to increase our activity levels.

The demise of family dining: Sitting down to eat as a family is a ritual that has unfortunately declined. Instead, many people tend to eat on the go, or whilst watching TV, or perhaps in front of the computer, and this results in a greater propensity to eat higher volumes of low quality meals. In addition to building family cohesion and social awareness, eating with family around a table can also help children develop a healthier association with food. It also tends to slow down the rate of eating, which is strongly associated with a reduced calorie intake i.e. the slower we eat, the less we eat.

Too many treats: Whilst listening to the radio this morning, I heard a high profile chef talking about treats and he went on to say it was healthy to have a fried breakfast once a week, fish and chips once a week, and to drink fizzy drinks occasionally. What a load of rubbish. It’s fine if the ONLY treat you have is fish and chips once a week, but once you start adding up these ‘once-a-weekers’ you suddenly find that you’re having a treat every day or more. A treat should be something that you have occasionally. A daily food indulgence is not a treat, it’s a staple diet.

There are many other factors which are causing the nation to become fatter, and eating too much chocolate is only one of these factors. Taxing food is not the answer to the obesity problem. Educating our youngsters and then taking personal responsibility in their – and our – eating habits is the key. Fundamentally, government initiatives won’t solve this problem, the buck stops squarely with you and I.