Enough with the “fat taxes”! #CON11
My friend and colleague Arya wrote a blog post the other day where he took some issue with the concept of legislation that targeting obesityI don’t disagree with him I can’t say it any more plainly We shouldn’t be passing legislation that targets obesity Such legislation undoubtedly will just fuel further bias and stereotype and will almost certainly do more harm than goodBut yet I’m all for soda taxes, changes to our agricultural subsidy system, tax incentives to encourage exercise, banning advertising targeting children, and posting calories on menusAm I an oxymoron? And yes, I realize many readers may be giggling and thinking, no, you’re just a moronI don’t think soThe reason I don’t think so is that all off those legislative efforts, they’re only “fat taxes” and “obesity legislation” if you look at them through obesity blindersYes, all of those interventions on paper might impact on obesity, but none of them target obesity, instead they target unhealthy products and unhealthy behaviours – products and behaviours that are unhealthy for everyone, not just for individuals with obesityAll Canadians ought to drink less sugar sweetened beverages All Canadians ought to exercise more All Canadians would benefit from shifting agricultural subsidies to make healthy foods cheaper and unhealthy foods more expensive All Canadian children should to be protected from predatory advertising And all Canadians could stand to be empowered with caloric information at point of sale So let’s stop talking about fat taxes and obesity legislation, and instead let’s take a step back and recognize that these initiatives are there to empower, encourage and persuade healthier lifestyles both for persons with obesity and for persons without We need to stop talking about them in terms of obesity as to do so is unfair, inaccurate, and potentially dangerousThe fact is, we can all stand to make healthier choices
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