Many lives are lost every year from heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses. I think a tax on unhealthy food is a sensible idea even though some people think it could be discriminatory and difficult to implement. There are several arguments against the introduction of a ‘fat tax’. It could end up as a tax on the poor because low-income families are more likely to consume cheap, fatty food. It might also be just another revenue-gathering scheme for the government as it can be argued that there are already taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, but that does not stop people from smoking and drinking. Besides, what right does the government have to dictate what people should eat? Who would decide exactly which foods merit a ‘fat tax’? These questions aside, the most cogent argument against a food tax is that food alone is not responsible for obesity and ill health. Exercise and genetic factors, not to mention portion sizes, all have a part to play. In ...