LONDON, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The British government is developing a new "fat tax" on junk food in its fight against growing obesity and related diseases, The Times of London said Thursday.
Among the items targeted for an additional tax are such fast foods as hamburgers, French fries, soft drinks, potato chips and even whole milk and butter, the newspaper said.
The move is in response to findings heart disease overtook cancer as Britain's biggest killer and more young people have started developing diabetes.
The report by the country's Strategy Unit is called "Personal Responsibility and Changing Behavior," and says the number of obese people has risen from less than 10 percent of the population in the 1980s to more than 20 percent now.
The unit suggests a number of public policy initiatives including a national sports drive, along the lines of the successful "Active Australia" strategy, and lifestyle lessons in school.
A recent study in the British Medical Journal, also suggested a "fat tax" could help prevent as many as 1,000 premature deaths annually from heart disease in Britain.
