The UK government has said it is considering introducing a levy on fastfood companies that would be used to fight obesity and fund sports facilities.
“We are looking at a number of ways of increasing sport in the context of the government’s anti-obesity initiative,” a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport was quoted by Reuters as saying.
The spokesman added that if levies on fastfood companies were introduced, the money would be used to fund the building of sports facilities across the UK, reported Reuters.
In a recent parliamentary report on obesity, the food industry came in for heavy criticism. The House of Commons Health Committee said food companies need to take real responsibility for their products and marketing.
The report also said the industry should take active steps to reformulate foods to reduce their energy density, and to introduce healthy pricing strategies to make healthy choices affordable for all.
