Should the food industry foot some of the costs the NHS incurs through heart disease?

no, we all have a choice what we put into our body

You are aware of the hydrogenated fats because of your food intolerance. I suspect others are the same. I also suspect many people simply do not care, but none are that ignorant about healthy living - it is simply not possible. Newspapers and magazines highlight the importance of healthy eating, with supplements advertising health products or new diets on an almost daily basis. You go to the doctor for a sprained ankle but all they are interested in is how much tobacco and alcohol you consume in a week. “How many portions of fruit or vegetables do the Government suggest we eat a day?” That question came up on Junior Mastermind (children's quiz) not so long ago, suggesting it is common knowledge. We all know the answer. Also, with supermarkets offering their own brands at reduced prices, healthy foods are now no more expensive than the not so healthy. I do not understand the point you are trying to make about children. Every parent has a responsibility for their child's welfare and this includes what they ingest, therefore yes, it is easy to say no to a three-year-old when it comes to wanting unhealthy foods. There are so many "cartoon characters" begging for children's attentions that it becomes a necessity to be strong. A tantrum... so what? Better that than poor health. Saying no to what Mickey Mouse and friends are offering is easy. Someone else has mentioned blaming car companies for crash victims. I think this is a good point. Should the cigarette companies pay for research in lung disease, the drink industry compensate for liver disease…? How about airlines contributing toward victims of deep vein thrombosis? Companies put products out there - they do not force us to use them. Tobacco companies put warnings on their products. Do you propose that food companies put pictures of diseased hearts on their products? It would certainly curb my appetite but many people would ignore them just as many people still smoke. The simple thing is this: live how you want and face the consequences. You say it yourself: "... the consumer has a choice." Unlike tobacco products, food companies list everything on the packet so you know what you are consuming. You realise that you have those labels to read, as do others. It is up to you what you do with the information. Realise though, that the "primary industries" having to pay for pollution do not offer the consumer a choice - a factory billowing thick smoke into the environment 24/7 is vastly different to a product waiting on a shelf.

No.

christ no!! what next? blame car companies for the people in hospital through driving related accidents?

no definitely not !!! everyone is responsible for what they eat. you cannot make a supplier responsible for what people put inside themselves!!!!

no.

no we have a choice and also for those that have a treat every so often would end up paying higher prices as the industry would just off set the price by increasing the prices to us!

Lets stop shifting blame if most people read labels and made choices as you do there would not be a problem. People should have a pro-actively choose their products, however so many want cheap and artifical you can't blame companies for giving them what they want. I think all this legislating against choices deminishes our value as Humans we should choose and if more people took the time to know a bit about their choices we'd all be happier healthier and better informed. This seems like a prefered option to fining the food industry for providing what consumers want. Due to attitudes luike yours many have had to remove or at least reduce unhealthy additives including hydrogenated fat from products. Inform people to make a choice an companies will follow, legislate and peole feel their choices eroded and resent measures intended to help.

Excellent idea. Tobacco companies are paying billions of dollars towards health care so the food industry should do the same. Another school of though I like better is that people should accept responsibility for their own decisions. If you indulge in harmful things you should accept the consequences. The government has looked into the possibility of a "sugar tax" being imposed on all sweet products that you would buy.These means all of us will pay. Ridiculous.