Fat Tax Joke

I was flicking channels on the TV to see if there was anything worth watching (unfortunately no) and I happened to catch the poll on Today Tonight.  "Should Australia implement a tax on fatty foods?" is the question. I nearly choked.  In fact I went straight to my computer to look up Today Tonight to see what this complete rubbish was about.  I read their article and a blog that was attached unfortunately sounded reasonable, completely wrong, but it sounded reasonable.

Apparently Denmark has just started taxing fatty foods.  Why on earth would you do that?  It has been scientifically and comprehensively proven that the consumption of fat does not make you fat.  David Gillespie's books "Sweet Poison" and "The sweet poison quit plan" outlines this in great detail if anyone wants to read it.  Here's a summary:

It's not fat that makes you fat, it's sugar.  To be more specific, fructose, (which is found in sugar and all foods which are made with sugar including supposed fat-free products).  It does this in a number of ways, the most significant being that it turns into fatty acids immediately upon consumption and it also inhibits your ability to feel full, thus allowing you to overeat.  Here's a simple solution to obesity - stop eating sugar, nothing else - you don't have to exercise or anything, just stop eating foods and drinks which contain sugar.

Taxing fatty foods is ridiculous on a number of levels for this reason and here's some more.  The GST didn't encourage people to drop convenience food for healthy eating so why would another tax?  Fat-free foods are higher in sugar than the full fat versions so you'd be encouraging further consumption instead of lower levels.  I could probably think of some more but I'm too cranky about this to think straight. Leave a comment for me at the end of this post if you can think of some yourself.

Honestly people, if fat makes you fat, wouldn't the obesity epidemic be decreasing by now with all of the fat-free products on the market?  The weight loss market has never been more affluent.  There's a Gym on every corner and diet companies everywhere.  It's not working. Why not?  Nobody wants to be fat, so why are we?  Misinformation.  We're being mislead guys.  Not intentionally I don't think, but too many people are on the bandwagon that fat makes you fat and it's just not true.  

Talk to David Gillespie, he's on twitter as @gillespi or read his books.  Let's stop this madness.