From bbc.co.uk....
Plans for a tax on fatty foods such as cakes and biscuits are reportedly being drawn up by government advisers.
The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit is considering extending VAT on some food and having a national sports drive to fight obesity, according to the Times.
The newspaper claims a document urges a fatty food tax as a "signal to society" because the number of obese British people has risen sharply in 20 years.
A Downing Street spokesman said such plans had not been put to Tony Blair.
He said: "It is no secret that the government is looking at the problem of obesity.
FOODS TARGETED
Dairy products: fresh butter, cheddar cheese, full fat milk
Fast food: Cheeseburger, takeaway pizza, potato wedges
Sweets: Milk chocolate bar, Danish pastry, butter toffee popcorn
"But no proposals of this kind have been put to the prime minister."
The Times says the strategy unit's paper, titled Personal Responsibility and Changing Behaviour, points out that NHS spending on obesity-related disease has risen.
"The main drivers - poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle - are largely outside the direct influence of the NHS," it says.
It suggests a number of policies such as a national sports drive along the lines of the successful Active Australia strategy, and lifestyle lessons in schools.
Tax 'life-saving'
A new tax or the extension of VAT is proposed for some dairy products, fast food and sweets.
"This would be a signal to producers as well as consumers and serve more broadly as a signal to society that nutritional content in food is important," says the document.
Last year doctors at the British Medical Association (BMA) debated a proposal to impose the full 17.5% VAT rate on a wider range of high-fat foods such as biscuits, cakes and processed meals.
The 17.5% rate is already charged on some high-fat foods including fizzy drinks, crisps and take-away burgers.
The British Medical Journal recently claimed a 'fat tax' could help prevent 1,000 premature deaths from heart disease every year in the UK.
I agree with this 100%, if other harmful products are going to be taxed so highly then so should fatty foods. However, while watching GMTV this morning everyone's favourite Dr, Hilary Jones made the point that it may punish the poor who tend to fill up on fatty foods. I agreed for a couple of minutes then remembered that these are the people that sit on their arses all day before taking the kids daaaaan McDonalds to shut them up so i think tax the fuckers.
Plans for a tax on fatty foods such as cakes and biscuits are reportedly being drawn up by government advisers.
The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit is considering extending VAT on some food and having a national sports drive to fight obesity, according to the Times.
The newspaper claims a document urges a fatty food tax as a "signal to society" because the number of obese British people has risen sharply in 20 years.
A Downing Street spokesman said such plans had not been put to Tony Blair.
He said: "It is no secret that the government is looking at the problem of obesity.
FOODS TARGETED
Dairy products: fresh butter, cheddar cheese, full fat milk
Fast food: Cheeseburger, takeaway pizza, potato wedges
Sweets: Milk chocolate bar, Danish pastry, butter toffee popcorn
"But no proposals of this kind have been put to the prime minister."
The Times says the strategy unit's paper, titled Personal Responsibility and Changing Behaviour, points out that NHS spending on obesity-related disease has risen.
"The main drivers - poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle - are largely outside the direct influence of the NHS," it says.
It suggests a number of policies such as a national sports drive along the lines of the successful Active Australia strategy, and lifestyle lessons in schools.
Tax 'life-saving'
A new tax or the extension of VAT is proposed for some dairy products, fast food and sweets.
"This would be a signal to producers as well as consumers and serve more broadly as a signal to society that nutritional content in food is important," says the document.
Last year doctors at the British Medical Association (BMA) debated a proposal to impose the full 17.5% VAT rate on a wider range of high-fat foods such as biscuits, cakes and processed meals.
The 17.5% rate is already charged on some high-fat foods including fizzy drinks, crisps and take-away burgers.
The British Medical Journal recently claimed a 'fat tax' could help prevent 1,000 premature deaths from heart disease every year in the UK.
I agree with this 100%, if other harmful products are going to be taxed so highly then so should fatty foods. However, while watching GMTV this morning everyone's favourite Dr, Hilary Jones made the point that it may punish the poor who tend to fill up on fatty foods. I agreed for a couple of minutes then remembered that these are the people that sit on their arses all day before taking the kids daaaaan McDonalds to shut them up so i think tax the fuckers.
fat tax, whatever next, stupid tax? I'm gonna rebel if they bring in the fat tax and eat cheesecake all day, I'll never conform 
