Garden And Gossip Forums

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-57838103

Just as it should be.

A fine sentiment, but if we can't lower excessive smoking and drinking, which are both a huge detriment to the health and purse of the nation, by tax, what makes anyone think taxing salt and sugar will work. What's the point in 'prescribing' a veg to someone who has no idea what to do with it?

I agree with JJB.
That bar chart puts Ready meals at Zero - I'd move them way up the scale as so many Ready meals are junk food, stuffed with fat sugar and salt just to make them taste palatable.
Until "people" are weaned off ready meals and takeaways and given the motivation and skills to return to eating basic foods cooked fresh, nothing will change.
Incidentally, that photo of Henry Dimbledy isn't very inspiring. he looks like he's tucked away a few extra calories in his time.

I Strayed into politics - then stopped

I was going to reply, then re-read McDood's post. And stopped too.

A friend has a neighbour with young kids who is given veg and fruit parcels by a community support group. Most of the parcel is passed on to the friend as the neighbour doesn't know what to do with them. Peeling a carrot is a step too far for some.
Sorry to keep harking back to the good old days, before frozen meals were invented and the only takeaway was fish and chips but, when money is tight, you go back to basics - not cheap junk food. If you look at photos of people in the 1940s/50s even 60s - they weren't the size they are now. Taxing food isn't the answer!

Meanwhile Coca Cola, Heineken and Just Eat were three very prominent sponsors of the Euro 2020 tournament.

The quote from the food and drink Federation: "Obesity and food is very much about poverty, and we need measures to tackle poverty and to help people to make choices they need to make."
A lot of people in poverty don't have the money, facilities, time or knowledge to cook properly.

I think a lot of problems come about because people want things instantly they don’t want to cook a dinner or a casserole it’s easier to pop a ready meal in the microwave.

Lots of the high fat/salt/sugar foods are cheap.
I think education would help here - not many people have a clue what they eat/sugar content/carb value etc.


As a mum of two Type 1 diabetics I get really annoyed at the sugar thing. It costs a fortune in sweets etc....the lucozade that they used for sports drinks suddenly had the sugar removed and the price shot up.
Both my boys cook from scratch.