Denmark 'Fat Tax' Aimed At Curbing Unhealthy Eating Habits

COPENHAGEN (AP) -- Denmark has imposed a “fat tax” on foods such as butter and oil as a way to curb unhealthy eating habits.

The Nordic country introduced the tax Saturday, of 16 kroner ($3.00) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of saturated fat in a product.

Ole Linnet Juul, food director at Denmark’s Confederation of Industries, says the tax will increase the price of a burger by around $0.15 and raise the price of a small package of butter by around $0.40.

The tax was approved by large majority in a parliament in March as a move to help increase the average life expectancy of Danes.

Denmark, like some other European countries, already has higher fees on sugar, chocolates and soft drinks, but Linnet Juul says he believes the Nordic country is the first in the world to tax fatty foods.

In September, Hungary introduced a new tax popularly known as the “Hamburger Law,” but that only involves higher taxes on soft drinks, pastries, salty snacks and food flavorings.

The outgoing conservative Danish government planned the fat tax as part of a goal to increase the average life expectancy of Danes, currently below the OECD average at 79 years, by three years over the next 10 years.

While Finland and Romania reportedly are considering similar taxes, other countries in Europe are also watching the Danish tax closely.

Politicians in Belgium are debating whether the country should start a "fat tax" of its own. While some politicians welcome the tax as a possible way to target Europe's growing obesity numbers, others argue that the tax would do little to change consumer habits. "Obviously we have to do something about our living habits," Belgian senator Louis Ide tells De Standaard in Dutch. "Yet a fat tax will not do the trick. A tax does not change unhealthy eating patterns, it only fills the treasury."

In Britain, which has Europe's highest obesity numbers, some campaigners would welcome an initiative such as the one in Denmark. Speaking to The Guardian, spokesman for the National Obesity Forum Tam Fry said, "It is not a question of whether we should follow the Danes' lead -– we have to. If we don't do anything about it, by 2050, 70% of the British population will be obese or overweight and that would result not only in the downfall of the NHS but also of our national workforce."

Mike Rayner, director of Oxford University's Health Promotion Research Group, thinks the current obesity percentages will ultimately force the UK to follow the Danish example. Although the British Health Minister Andrew Lansley has not expressed support for such taxes, Rayner says he thinks the UK is going to instate them "whether Mr. Lansley wants them or not." He told The Telegraph: "The obesity crisis in the UK is such that we need to take more action."

Comments

[deminmo]

04:05 PM on 10/07/2011

People who are considered obese can be active and fairly
healthy. Some of my co-workers who are not even over-weight
miss more days at work because of sickness than people much
heavier. At some point being over 60, having physical limitations
or being over-weight will be deciding points on healthcare and
other issues. We have been a throw-away society for some
time now.

[deminmo]

04:01 PM on 10/07/2011

Phreaked, womens clothing is priced based on size, the average sizes
of 2-12 are usually $10 less than what is usually considered plus size
which is size 14 and anything above that. Don't the mens XXX sizes
usually run higher?

[getsit]

05:18 PM on 10/06/2011

It's not the fat but the type of fat and how much. We aren't healthy if we don't eat fat. It is an important part of our diet. Even some saturated fats (like coconut oil) is now considered healthy. It would make more sense to tax processed high salt, bad carb, and bad fat foods.

[MIKEinNYC]

04:30 PM on 10/06/2011

We should slap a tax on stupid. We'll raise lots of money.

[cyoohoos]

08:38 AM on 10/06/2011

Hey baggers, 100% of Denmark has healthcare. Gov't funded universal healthcare funded by... TAXES. So it makes PERFECT sense to impose a fat tax in that country.

[jasev01]

11:17 AM on 10/05/2011

haha this is nice.  Implement it in the US, budget deficit solved... your welcome.

[strangiato]

09:36 AM on 10/05/2011

The Truth:

Cash strapped governments around the world are looking for wedge issues to divide and confuse the masses on which to apply tax increases. Denmark's cigarette tax - one of the highest in the European Union has had little or no actual effect on cigarette use in the country. In fact, despite it's significantly higher rate than Germany, Danish cigarette consumption handily outpaces Germany and most of the other "developed" countries of the world.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_tob_cig_con-health-tobacco-cigarette-consumption

Moreover, medical science has established for years now that individually inherited genetic makeup and the degree of exercise is what accounts for arterial sclerosis - not the consumption of certain food products like whole milk, eggs, or butter. This move by Denmark is nothing more than a cash grab - plain and simple. What's worse is that it attempts to establish legitimacy for big government overreach - something every freedom loving individual should be disgusted with.

[FalstaffsMind]

08:37 AM on 10/05/2011

It's really no different than a cigarette tax.

[getsit]

05:18 PM on 10/06/2011

Yes it is. Cigerettes are NEVER healthy. Many fats are and we can't live without them in our diet. If we manage our fat consumption to eat healthy fats it is actually a healthful thing to do.

[MrLurbakke]

07:59 AM on 10/05/2011

One of the reason less than ten percent danes are obese is because of laws like this one. There's many of them. There's a lot of taxes on gas and cars too. So people use their bike. In Copenhagen people bike, because it's cheaper, easier and more healthy. You can still buy a car - a lot of people do. But you have to think about it just a little more than in the US.

I don't know why people act like this is a big deal. If you could afford unhealthy food before, this isn't stopping you. People always act like taxes will change everything. In Denmark the tax rate is around 50 %. There's taxes on cars, fat and a lot of other stuff. But you don't have to pay for health care. There's hardly any poor people. You get paid to study - enough to make a living. You get help if you don't have a job. All kinds of benefits. At the same time Denmark is spending a lot of money on green energy and wars fighting side by side with the US. And let's not forget danes are the most happy people in the world.

[Yank in France]

09:42 AM on 10/05/2011

Great post, MrLurbakke! I just visited a friend in Sweden and saw many of the same things you mention about Denmark, namely high taxes but really fantastic social coverage.

But beyond all the talk about economics, there is another incredible advantage to a system in which the basic needs (not talking about a life of luxury, far from it, but bare bones needs) of everyone is assured by the state: you don't have angry groups or individuals roaming the streets looking to take out their frustration on society. There are individual cases of violence, but the crime rate in the Scandinavian countries, or even in all of the other continental European state, is about ONE FOURTH that of the United States!

The safety issue is something that Americans PAY BIG MONEY to obtain, but unfortunately without much success!

[MrLurbakke]

10:47 AM on 10/05/2011

And the freedom issue... Come on. We're hippies! There's no censoring in tv. You can say what you want or show whatever part of your body. Less crime to worry about. And nobody feels the goverment is telling us how to live our lives. I don't think any country drink more beers than the danes.

Socialism isn't the same as communism. You already have some socialism in your society. Why does americans always think a little more socialism is per default a bad thing? I don't get it. We're a social-liberal country not communists. I know, you have your american dream. If you're really lucky you'll do great. In Denmark you just sign up for the education you like and you'll do great.

[Mannerjaa]

06:09 AM on 10/05/2011

Less than ten percent of danish are obese, so I don't think that obesity is their primary concern and the problem they try to tackle on with the fat tax. As the article says they try to raise life expectancy which is lower than other Nordic countries and the new tax is part of that program. Their real problem is the beer consumption but that could be not solved by raising taxes, because of the closeness of Germany.
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_obe-health-obesity

[European1919]

03:50 AM on 10/05/2011

"Yet a fat tax will not do the trick. A tax does not change unhealthy eating patterns, it only fills the treasury."

This is basically true. BUT ... I have a sneaking suspicion that the Danes will not fritter away extra govt income on wars abroad or bailing out banks or defaulting nations but on things which will actually be for their own good: the education system, pensions, the health system, ...

[lovethesinner]

01:22 AM on 10/05/2011

Seems like a good and reasonable way to raise revenue, but... nobody is going to lose weight because of it.

If people want to lose weight, just kill your TV. Or, cut the cable and only rent movies. Cut the internet, too. Read books, magazines, get a Kindle...

I had a job as a counselor in a rehab for six weeks in '97. (worst job, EVER) But, every morning we had to go for an hour walk right after breakfast. I lost forty pounds in six weeks. (from 235 to 195, I'm 5 foot, 9.5 inches.) Worked from 8AM to 4PM, five days a week.

It only took me nine months to put it all back on at my new job. Only difference... no breakfast, and no walk.

And now for the punch line:

When I clicked on this story from the main page, I thought the Danes were going to tax me for being fat. Man, am I relieved. I've always like the Danes.

Very reasonable people.

[Feurio]

05:52 AM on 10/05/2011

TVs computers do not add calories to the diet.

[sensimilla]

11:35 AM on 10/06/2011

and, with the exception of maybe the wii, do NOTHING to remove calories, and actually slow the metabolism leading to a higher percentage of fat in the body.

[ameliaparvaneh]

01:02 AM on 10/05/2011

Instead of making the bad stuff more expensive, they should try making the good stuff cheaper. Many people would buy organic, whole foods if they could afford them. They might actually save more money in the long run if they tried really promoting healthy foods, marketing them as intelligently as we do junk food, and making them as affordable as possible. They also need to recognize that for many people, overeating is an addiction that has complex causes, and those people need support, not condescension and punishment.

[Tony Wang]

01:26 AM on 10/05/2011

It's really not more expensive to buy fresh food and prepare it yourself. It's not as convenient, but it's healthier and is often cheaper.

[justwanttruth]

01:35 AM on 10/05/2011

How about not waiting until you can afford organic? Just buy more fruits, vegetables and beans. People don't eat crappy food because it's cheap, so I think not increasing it's price would not deter consumption. However, I would only support a fat tax if healthy, fresh foods are easily accessible by those in inner cities and other lower income areas.

[DrP]

09:41 PM on 10/08/2011

Sadly, though, butter is not an unhealthy, processed food. Organic butter is one of the healthiest things you can consume. I'm shocked the Danish government is so wrong-headed about this.

[ameliaparvaneh]

12:51 AM on 10/05/2011

I think the Danish government is overstepping... All governments want to tax.. They'll tax as much as they can. They'd tax the air we breathe if they could get away with it. I wonder which food will be next...

[Yank in France]

03:26 AM on 10/05/2011

That is a very good idea: tax polluted air!! This is how it would work. If a city's air reaches a certain level of pollution, the State would be required to impose a point-of-purchase tax on all goods and services purchased in the city!! The revenues would then be used to clean up the pollution.

So yes, let's tax the very poor quality air you breath!!! -:)

[paddlerchick]

08:20 AM on 10/05/2011

They are protecting their national health program because obesity causes chronic health problems. In this country, we all pay out of pocket for others bad choices.

[catboycolo]

11:19 PM on 10/04/2011

I guess that's why they call them danishes...and one more :"nothing's rotten in Demark, because they ate it al!"...and no, I am not proud of myself.