Lifestyle Economics

Nanny state policies do not work


Mark Littlewood writes for The Times

In his bi-weekly article for The Times, IEA Director General Mark Littlewood has hit-out against nanny state policies included in the Queen’s Speech last week.

The government plans to ban ‘junk food’ advertisements on TV and online. Mark argued there is no hard evidence to suggest these policies would have the desired effect of solving the ‘obesity crisis’, referencing new IEA research- The Nanny State Index 2021.

Mark said: “We need to move the debate onto whether the interventionist measures work even on their own terms. The Nanny State Index found no correlation between strict policies and actually achieving longer lifespans or healthier habits for the population. The biggest problem with the nanny state is that it simply doesn’t work“.

Read the full article here.



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