DENMARK HAS INTRODUCED the world’s first ‘fat tax’ on food – increasing the price of products which contain high levels of saturated fat.
The move, which will see shoppers pay more for chips, pizza, meat and milk, is aimed at tackling obesity in the Scandinavian country – where just over ten per cent of adults are clinically obese. Obesity rates are considerably higher in Ireland, where 20 per cent of men and almost 16 per cent of women fall into that category.
Health minister James Reilly last week ruled out the possibility of such a tax in Ireland, saying he would ask fast food outlets to post calorie counts on their menus instead. However, Danish officials have said they expect other countries to follow suit with levies of their own.
So what do you think? Should Ireland introduce a fat tax?
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