A sugar tax risks penalising people whose genes mean they are more likely to be obese, MPs have heard.
Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg suggested in contrast people who are thinner - such as himself - will be fine as a result of the Government's proposed levy on soft drinks with the most added sugar, which will be introduced from April 2018.
He also argued the Government should not tell him how much sugar he can give to his children, adding parents should decide this themselves while the tax system should raise revenue to allow the country to "pay its way".
Speaking as MPs debated the Finance (No 2) Bill's second reading, Mr Rees-Mogg (North East Somerset) said: "The tax system is not there to tell us how to live our lives.
"And I see there may be an exception with tobacco but there isn't really with alcohol.
"Alcohol it's a matter of raising revenue and the rates we have on alcohol work very well in raising revenue, as incidentally does tobacco - it's a serious generator of funds for the Treasury to pay its way.
"So I'm very sceptical about this approach and I was struck by what (James Davies, Conservative MP for Vale of Clwyd) said that a lot of obesity is in fact genetic.
"If it is in fact genetic then you're penalising people who have a genetic propensity to obesity and it's fine for people like me.
"I give way to another person who it's fine to eat lots of sugar."
Mr Rees-Mogg allowed SNP MP George Kerevan (East Lothian) to intervene.
Mr Kerevan opened by joking: "Indeed I had a fine East Lothian Easter egg, I admit to that."
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