World Obesity Day: Researcher calls for abolition of VAT on fruit and vegetables

On World Obesity Day, the government should start abolishing VAT on fruits and vegetables "as soon as tomorrow" by defining what can definitely be considered fruits and vegetables, said Jutka Halberstadt, associate professor of childhood obesity at VU University Amsterdam. Currently, a committee is examining the Cabinet's plan to abolish the VAT because it must be clear whether tomato sauce, for example, is a vegetable or not.

"No tax on fruits and vegetables seems difficult. You can also think, 'We'll start with what is predominantly fruits and vegetables, and start regulating that tomorrow,'" she said. Halberstadt, who has published several books on nutrition with colleague Jaap Seidell, believes there is a lack of political will to take such action, which could make citizens healthier. "This unwillingness comes at the expense of citizens' quality of life and their productivity. If you want the well-being

The current Cabinet has proposed in the coalition agreement to abolish VAT on fruits and vegetables altogether by 2024. To do this, however, it must first be clarified what exactly fruit and vegetables are. The results of this study are expected shortly. On this basis, the government will then decide whether the existing VAT rules should be adjusted.

The agreements made in the 2018 National Prevention Agreement on smoking, alcohol and obesity are also "not enough," she said. "The ink of this agreement was not yet dry, or the analysis of the measures in the agreement by the RIVM has already shown that they are not sufficient to achieve the goals." The government should therefore impose "additional rules" on companies, Halberstadt stated.

Because being overweight can lead to obesity, a chronic disease. Obesity, in turn, can lead to numerous other diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Halberstadt also called it "impossible that we are ‘carrying water to the sea’ " in the fight against overweight and obesity, such as by "allowing an abundance of advertisements for fattening products and the continuous availability of delicious, cheap, and unhealthy food".

Halberstadt notes that while there is a shift in mentality about healthier food, it's not happening fast enough yet. "And it reaches people in higher socioeconomic positions more quickly, which increases the health gap between rich and poor."