‘Don’t Blame fast food, soft drinks’

Don’t blame fast food and soft (sweet) drinks. Blame people’s lack of self control and sense of balance.

This is the view of an executive of a leading fast-food chain and a manager of a soft drink manufacturing company, as they responded to some measures Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves announced that could form part of the Wellness Revolution that this country is about to embark on.{{more}}

Dr Gonsalves, just back from the recent CARICOM heads’ summit on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) in Trinidad, told reporters earlier this week that it was imperative that Vincentians become more active, and change their diets.

He said that as the government addresses this problem the CARICOM Heads committed to deal with, consideration will be given to adjusting taxes to promote healthier eating habits.

Lamenting that CNCDs cost this country an estimated $15 million annually, Dr Gonsalves said, in addition to imposing higher taxes on alcoholic and tobacco products, the possibility of an excise tax being placed on “unhealthy foods”, exists.

He noted that this increased taxing could also affect soft drink products, which he said are simply too sweet.

“I am not looking to cut down the breadfruit tree of the soft drink manufacturers, but the fact of the matter is, if you are producing the substance that we now see is a major contributing factor to ill health, surely, we should make it more difficult for you in that regard,” said Dr Gonsalves.

“People need to change their lifestyles and become more balanced”, however, said Ken Boyea of KFC restaurants.

Stating that everyone was looking for a scape goat for the health problems the country, region, and world at large are facing, Boyea said that taxing the fast foods would not make people eat healthier or exercise more, because this is a matter of their personal discipline.

“I see children waiting by Murray’s Road for transport to go into town. That’s the problem. With the mini bus accessibility now, people don’t want to walk anymore,”’ Boyea said.

He further noted that KFC gives good value for money, and in an economy like St Vincent and the Grenadines’ that is important.

Meanwhile, Ken Gonsalves of Bottlers Limited told SEARCHLIGHT that he was worried about Dr Gonsalves’ statements.

He, too, said that moderation is the key, a virtue that higher taxes or restriction of sale in schools can’t teach.

“Educate people how to be responsible,” Gonsalves said.

He said that it is also worrying financially, because Bottlers has just invested $10 million in a new plant to make it possible for them to bottle Ju-c in plastic bottles.

He said that this new plant will also enable the company to bottle healthier drinks, and a deal is already in the works with Pepsi, for the bottling of the Tropicana range of fruit based drinks.

However, Ekron Lewis of Ronnie’s Fitness Centre said that plans to give tax breaks on sporting and gym equipment are encouraging.

Lewis, however, said that the economy is contributing to persons’ inactivity to a large extent.

“A lot of persons join the gym, but then they say they could no longer afford the $60 per month, because of the other things they have to take care off,” Lewis told SEARCHLIGHT.

He said that anything that encourages exercising and the establishment of more gyms, while on one hand creating more competition for him, would be good for the society.