British Prime Minister David Cameron Considers Implementing ‘Fat Tax’

Citing a desire to avoid soaring health costs and shortened life expectancies, British Prime Minister David Cameron will consider introducing a “fat tax” similar to one recently introduced in Denmark.

That measure, which has proven unpopular with Danish consumers and retailers, calls for a surcharge to be placed on foods with more than 2.3 percent saturated fat content such as butter, milk, cheese, pizza, meat, oil, and processed foods.

“The problem in the past when people have looked at using the tax system in this way is the impact it can have on people on low incomes,” Cameron said. “But frankly, do we have a problem with the growing level of obesity? Yes. Do we have a kind of warning in terms of, look at America how bad things have got there, about what happens if we don’t do anything? Yes, that should be a wake-up call.”

[Huffington Post]