Great Manchester Toying With the Idea of a “Fat Tax”

With an estimated one in five 10-year olds in Oldham considered obese, authorities and townhall chiefs in the area will decide tomorrow if they should introduce a tax against fast food restaurants in an effort to make them charge more for unhealthy foods or even better, introduce healthier options. The obvious lines have been drawn as a result of the possible tax, with health officials pushing and supporting the tax, the Federation of Small Businesses said the tax would be “regrettable”.

Takeaway restaurants could be forced to pay up in the form of a £1,000 tax ($1,600+) in order to operate their respective businesses. This would put all fast food businesses in the line of sight, including big players such as McDonald’s and KFC. The tax would be levied as a form of deterrence, but would be used on litter-picking and healthy eating promotional campaigns.