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Fat tax on the menu
09/06/2003 07:38 - (SA)
Sydney - Australian doctors Monday urged the government to combat an epidemic of obesity with a "fat tax" on fast food and fizzy drinks.
The Australian Medical Association's Mukesh Haikerwal said the levy was based on a similar initiative being examined in Britain.
"It's not about the money," Dr Haikerwal said. "It's part of a strategy to make people more aware of the contents of the food that's bought."
Six in 10 adults are overweight or obese - double the 1980 level - as are one in five children.
Under Haikerwal's proposal, food saturated in fat and drinks laden with sugar would be slapped with an extra tax on top of the 10 percent value added tax.
Dr Haikerwal said the "fat tax" idea would be put to Australian and New Zealand health ministers later this month.
Sapa-DP
- SAPA
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South Africa
