LONDON � Britain is considering imposing levies on fast-food firms to fund sports facilities and combat obesity, the government said yesterday.
"We are looking at a number of ways of increasing sport in the context of the government's anti-obesity initiative," said a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
In Britain, 47 percent of men and 33 percent of women are overweight and nearly a quarter of both sexes are obese.
If the levies were imposed, funds would be used to build sports facilities around the country, the government spokesman said, adding, "Improving the nation's health and tackling obesity are key government objectives. "