VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Ontario doctors are calling for extra taxes on fatty and sugary foods, but the BC Medical Association says that may not be the best thing for our province.

Dr. Lloyd Oppel says the number of obese kids is increasing, and when BC doctors looked at taxing junk food they felt there was no real definition of what junk food is.

“I think it would be difficult to draw up a list of things that were truly bad versus things that are truly good and be able to implement a tax on that basis.  Not that it’s impossible to do something in that direction but it would be a tough road I think,” says Oppel.

He says they would consider putting graphic images and warning labels on some unhealthy foods, something that Ontario is also calling for.

“We’ll be very interested to see how effective that part of their campaign is,” says Oppel.

He says BC takes an educational approach to fighting obesity and doctors are hoping for Body Mass Index (BMI) measurements in schools one day because tracking kids year after year is how they’ll know if the programs are working.

“We are very concerned about the obesity epidemic that’s under way, we are very much encouraging people to be active everyday and make healthy food choices,” adds Oppel.

“I’m just generally not in favour of adding a bunch of taxes for people.  But I agree with their point which is we have to address childhood obesity,” says Premier Christy Clark.

The Ontario Medical Association has announced a number of recommendations to prevent premature deaths associated with obesity.  They include restricting marketing of fatty and sugary foods to children, placing in-store retail displays advising consumers of health risks associated with those foods, and restricting the availability of sugary foods at facilities often frequented by children.