Should the government control what we eat?
Government around the world are getting more and more involved with telling consumers what they can and can’t eat as they grappling with rising rates of obesity. Some people believe that the government should mind its own business and let consumers decide for themselves what they eat. Others argues that consumers need protection from themselves and from outside temptation.
In the UK children living in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to be obese compared to those in the least deprived areas. This differences can have long term consequences for health as well as social and economic outcomes. Policies such as taxes on junk foods, restrictions to the availability and advertising of foods, nutritional labeling and regulation to encourage firms to reformulate products aims to encourage a healthier diet, but these policies have sometimes proved controversial. In this lecture Rachel will discuss what different types of policies aimed at reducing obesity might achieve in terms of reduce long-run inequalities in health, social and economic outcomes.