UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES lecturer Dr Lennox Sealy is not winning any friends with his suggestion that Barbadians who don’t look after their health and weight be taxed.
Speaking at a town hall meeting on health care last week, Sealy said it was time to hit people in their pockets. He added it was no longer time to be politically correct as some effort had to be made to reducing the annual health-care bill of $732 million.
His suggestion was dismissed by online readers. They said he should have looked for ways to educate the public about healthy eating choices or advocate for the lowering of duties on fruits and vegetables.
Here are some of their views:
Leton De King Bacchus: How about Dr Lennox Sealy proposing a no-tax on fruits and vegs? That means we all will be able to afford them . . . . Fat tax seriously, Lennox? Most persons who are overweight or obese hardly even eat when the days come.
Stacey Gilkes: Honestly, there needs to be more education about proper diet and exercise, not taxes, and it needs to start from young. All these schoolchildren walk outside to junk food vendors and buy sweet drinks and candy all day and that’s where it starts.
Sarah Effe: The food products in Barbados’ supermarkets are unaffordable. If anything, the tax should be on the imported junk food, but instead, it is the cheapest commodity. Empower the farmers and facilitate their supply to supermarkets.
Adrian Allison: I’m all for people living at their healthiest potential but suggesting a fat tax is the most stupid thought.
Michele Monique Antoinette: Clearly not well thought out. What about looking at it from another perspective? Making fitness facilities, healthy foods and drinks more affordable and accessible. Because even with this beverage tax, a bottle of coke is still cheaper than golden apple juice. Allowances could be made on our tax returns. Think incentive instead of punitive.
Gregston Griffith: This tax may not be popular but I would second it fast. People have to understand that when they eat as they like, then the same taxpayers have to keep them in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital when the sickness [hits] them. In fact, the health-care worker can’t even lift them around as they like. I was present when an ambulance went for a fat woman and they couldn’t even get her lift. Bring the tax and those who go exercising would get a rebate.
Darren Garrett: Next tax going to be the air-you-breathe tax.
Paul Rohoman: Do you get a tax rebate when you lose the weight?
Andrea Sangria Alleyne: Don’t worry, it’s not just your island. They want to put a tax on sugary drinks here in the United Kingdom but mainly to combat the obesity in children.
• Sherrylyn Toppin is The NATION’s Online Editor.