Sir, – While a Government-led initiative to tackle obesity is long overdue, the proposed sugar tax is little more then a knee-jerk reaction unlikely to achieve the desired outcome.
Calorie-laden food is too readily available and it is that which should be addressed. Vending machines should be banned and supermarkets should not be permitted to display sweets at the checkout. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine labels sweets displayed at cashiers as a health risk and also points out that vendors pay supermarkets a premium so that their products are displayed in prominent positions.
These companies profit on the poor health of the nation. It is there that our leaders should intervene on our behalf. – Yours, etc,