B.C. should tax junk food because 1 in 4 kids are overweight: Knowledge Driven Revolution

[KDR: This is a classic government solution to a problem. More money for them less for you.]

Fully 25 per cent of children in British Columbia are overweight and the province should consider taxing some candies, confections and soft drinks, says an all-party committee of the province's legislature.

"Childhood obesity is a problem our province can no longer afford to ignore," the report says in its blunt introduction. "The health costs to our children and the financial costs to our health system are reaching a crisis point and all leaders need to act."

The politicians made 36 recommendations to the government after holding hearings at high schools and even dedicated a website to kids who wanted to submit ideas.

The report says the government needs to formally monitor the weight of the province's children to keep an eye on the problem.

Junk food should be banned from school vending machines and other food outlets within two years and hospitals, universities and government buildings should follow suit.

Earlier this month, the government announced its intention to remove junk food from the machines in all facilities operated and funded by the provincial government.

And there should be more money available for hot, nutritious lunch programs.

Meanwhile, the report also says kids should get help becoming more physically active, including walking to school more often.

Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan, one of the committee's co-chairmen, said lifting the tax exemption on some sweets could result in a lot of revenue.

"A back of the envelope guesstimate would be about $50 million a year."

The report found that childhood overweight and obesity in B.C. is an issue "nearing crisis proportions." In the past quarter century, the percentage of Canadian children measured as either overweight or obese has risen steadily and now approaches 30 per cent of teenaged boys and girls.

The report outlines some of the reasons for the increase in children's heftiness, including a decrease in their outdoor activity because of parents' fear for their safety.

Other reasons included a decline in school activities, the convenience of packaged foods, an increase of high calorie drinks, and larger serving portions of food.

The committee said it was opposed to a recommendation for a specific junk food tax, but instead recommended removing the exemption under the Social Service Tax Act that applies to candies, confection and soft drinks.

Another recommendation called for the removal of the tax exemption for "all unhealthy foods and beverages" that meet definitions of "not recommended" under the province's guidelines for food and beverage sales.

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HOME Rouge States and the 9/11 Truth Terrorists Canadians Should Pay NOT to be Poisoned: NDP V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming ? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer Chicken Little Terrorist of the Week: Creating Fake Terrorists Shill of the Week: Paul Martin The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	B.C. should tax junk food because 1 in 4 kids are overweight, says report CP December 01, 2006 [KDR: This is a classic government solution to a problem. More money for them less for you.] Fully 25 per cent of children in British Columbia are overweight and the province should consider taxing some candies, confections and soft drinks, says an all-party committee of the province's legislature. "Childhood obesity is a problem our province can no longer afford to ignore," the report says in its blunt introduction. "The health costs to our children and the financial costs to our health system are reaching a crisis point and all leaders need to act." The politicians made 36 recommendations to the government after holding hearings at high schools and even dedicated a website to kids who wanted to submit ideas. The report says the government needs to formally monitor the weight of the province's children to keep an eye on the problem. Junk food should be banned from school vending machines and other food outlets within two years and hospitals, universities and government buildings should follow suit. Earlier this month, the government announced its intention to remove junk food from the machines in all facilities operated and funded by the provincial government. And there should be more money available for hot, nutritious lunch programs. Meanwhile, the report also says kids should get help becoming more physically active, including walking to school more often. Liberal MLA Ralph Sultan, one of the committee's co-chairmen, said lifting the tax exemption on some sweets could result in a lot of revenue. "A back of the envelope guesstimate would be about $50 million a year." The report found that childhood overweight and obesity in B.C. is an issue "nearing crisis proportions." In the past quarter century, the percentage of Canadian children measured as either overweight or obese has risen steadily and now approaches 30 per cent of teenaged boys and girls. The report outlines some of the reasons for the increase in children's heftiness, including a decrease in their outdoor activity because of parents' fear for their safety. Other reasons included a decline in school activities, the convenience of packaged foods, an increase of high calorie drinks, and larger serving portions of food. The committee said it was opposed to a recommendation for a specific junk food tax, but instead recommended removing the exemption under the Social Service Tax Act that applies to candies, confection and soft drinks. Another recommendation called for the removal of the tax exemption for "all unhealthy foods and beverages" that meet definitions of "not recommended" under the province's guidelines for food and beverage sales. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
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B.C. should tax junk food because 1 in 4 kids are overweight, says report