I have to admit that I’m a bit fat-ist. I try not to be, but I am. There are those who have huge psychological problems, and are desperate for help… and with that, I have absolutely no quarrel. However, the idiot inside me can’t help but think that a lot of fat people are just lazy and greedy. Like I said, I can be an idiot. So, leafing through the listings, I see a programme called Tax The Fat. Presumably, this will be a show looking at people who are obese, and causing a ‘drain’ on the nations funds by needing treatment for their ‘greediness’. Well, let’s stop presuming and have a look at what the show is actually about.

Basically, More4 will be showing a "provocative and personal polemic" from Times columnist and restaurant critic Giles Coren. He’ll be weighing up the cost of obesity to the British taxpayer and, not only working out how much the obese folk cost, but proposing the idea of taxing overweight people directly in an attempt to counter what he regards as an ‘obesity time bomb’. Sounds harsh?

This show was first aired in summer, and unsurprisingly, it caused quite a stir. Message boards were rammed with bile… one viewer ranted "Since when has it become acceptable to discriminate against fat people? There are laws against ageism, sexism, racism and many other groups in our society. Fat people are human beings and they deserve the same respect as ony one else. I thought that the programme was a joke at first. How come he got away with being so offensive to fat people? It was a disgrace to be allowed to be broadcast."

No sitting on the fence there eh? He does raise a valid point (albeit in a glib manner) that obesity does pose huge problems for the nation as a whole. Apparently, one in four people in this country are obese. Obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes, and that folks, isn’t cheap to treat. With a push to get kids eating healthier by just about every channel on the box, it’s odd that people aren’t focusing on adult eating patterns. Odder still that people on the box are largely unsympathetic to fat people’s plight. Look at Gillian McKeith.

However, if this is seen as a similar problem to smoking, then why shouldn’t the fat be taxed? Smokers are taxed through the sale of tobacco. Alcoholics are taxed when they purchase their booze. However, it would seem that both of these problems have more help readily available. Whereas obese people are left to be bullied by snide comments from fools like me. Just how do you tax the fat? Watch this documentary and be prepared to have this arguement all over again… [Mof Gimmers]