Junk these reports

There are ways and ways of tackling a problem. But governments all over the world prefer only the one from the old stylebook: the carrot-and-stick system.

There are ways and ways of tackling a problem. But governments all over the world prefer only the one from the old stylebook: the carrot-and-stick system. The latest addition to this style of governance comes from the Taiwanese government. Alarmed at the rising obesity levels in the island, the government plans to introduce a ‘fat tax’. The Apple Daily, no pun intended here, has reported that Taiwan’s Bureau of Health Promotion is in the process of drafting a special tax on foods that are seen as unhealthy like sugar candy, cakes, fast food and alcohol. The funds generated from this tax on junk foods will go to finance health awareness programmes and bankroll the island’s health insurance programme.

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Taiwan is not the only one in this fight against fat: in Britain recently, there was a proposal to introduce a chocolate tax. But the plan, thankfully, did not manage to get the British Medical Association’s approval.

Later, a British doctor correctly said that such taxes on junk food only lead to lighter wallets, and not thinner waists.

When did any tax stop us from giving up so-called harmful habits? Everyday we are swamped with reports about research that enlightens us about the negatives of everything that’s available on this earth. Yes, junk is bad. But then what’s pure? Let’s get that debate right first. Meanwhile, let not such matters spoil the holiday season for us. Eat, drink and make merry! Everything in moderation is okay. Isn’t life all about choices?