Tax fizzy drinks and ban junk food ads, say UK doctors

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. So it's the doctors you are attacking

"What I find suspect, are the motives of those who would promote, pass - and ultimately enforce such legislation."

It's the doctors promoting this. So it's the motives of doctors you are attacking. Or of any politician who listens, in the future, to the doctors.

"Nutritional benefits will be (and have been) sacrificed for the sake of profit."

Yes, this is the point of the report. You're agreeing with it.

"If our governments and health institutions are overall enabled to become solely responsible for our diets"

Straw man. This is not saying they'd be solely responsible for diet. This is about them providing healthy possibilities (rather than, say, only having junk food vending machines available during night shifts). It's not about banning anything ("I can just imagine a world where we have to have illegal institutions in order to purchase cheese burgers, milk shakes, or soda" - good, because no-one is suggesting banning any type of food or drink). Alcohol isn't banned, in western countries; but it is taxed, with part of the reasoning being to direct people to healthier alternatives.

"I'm all for better health. I just think we should have the right to seek it for ourselves. Or, the right to choose otherwise."

You have the right. But that doesn't mean giving the junk food corporations free rein to make their profits without regulation.

"If we really want a healthier world, perhaps we should be pouring more money into nutritional education"

Recommendation #1:

Education and training programmes for healthcare professionals:
Royal Colleges, Faculties and other professional clinical bodies should
promote targeted education and training programmes within the next two
years for healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care to
ensure ‘making every contact count’ becomes a reality, particularly for
those who have most influence on patient behaviour

Recommendation #5:

Nutritional standards in schools: The existing mandatory food- and
nutrient-based standards in England should be applied to all schools
including free schools and academies. This should be accompanied by
a new statutory requirement on all schools to provide food skills, including
cooking, and growing – alongside a sound theoretical understanding of
the long-term effects of food on health and the environment from the
2014/15 academic year