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Food advertising causing obesity
Bad impacts of junk food advertising on children
Bad impacts of junk food advertising on children
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Have you ever thought about obesity in America and how to reduce it? Marlow and Shiers state in their viewpoint article, " Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta estimate that obesity now accounts for 9.1 percent of all medical spending-$147 billion in 2008 (Marlow and Shiers)." This means that nearly ten percent, 147 billion dollars, of medical spending in the whole United States is caused by obesity. Not only does it account for almost ten percent of the medical budget, obesity is rampant in children these days. For example, I have a four year old nephew that lives at home with me. When he is thirsty he says "Uncle Alex, can I have soda?" I tell him no and get him a glass of water. He isn't obese by any means, not even overweight, but if he continues to drink soda as he does, he may be one day. Many people argue that there should be a tax on sugary drinks saying it will help reduce obesity in consumers, reduce chances of heart disease and diabetes, make sports more competitive, and set better examples for children.
To begin with, “That's nearly $3 per case. Why so much? Because this tax, unlike the petty junk-food taxes of yesteryear, is designed to hurt. It's purpose is to discourage you from buying soda, on the grounds that soda, like smoking, is bad for you (Saleten 1)." This quote is in reference to the proposal of a penny-per-ounce tax on sugared beverages such as soda and juices. Lets do comparison math for a second. One twelve pack of sodas at your nearest grocery store is around two dollars. If the penny-per-ounce excise tax were enforced, that would mean there would be a one dollar and forty four cent increase in price. That being said, a twenty four pack of store brand water is around...
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Everyday Americans die from the diseases they carry from obesity. Many Americans over eat because their social problems or because they are hereditary. Many plans have been discussed but finding the solution is the problem. Junk foods and unhealthy beverages have corrupted children’s minds all over the nation and putting a stop on it could lead to other benefits. Unhealthy foods and drinks should be taxed and healthy foods should be advertised more to help prevent American obesity.
The article,“ Battle lines drawn over soda tax,” by Associated Press , the Press explains how there is an ongoing “national fight about taxing sugary drinks.” According to Associated Press, “ Health experts say the beverages contribute to health issues such as diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay.” This quote demonstrates that sugary drinks can lead to health issues. Since sugary drinks leads to health issues, people are considering soda tax. This is because thirteen percent of adult minorities are diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes.
Mayor Bloomberg’s plan is to decrease the amount of sugar intake that Americans digest. However, to do this successfully, he would need to include all sugary products that affect Americans, not just the most popular products, which happens to be soda. When you take away soda, people will start to replace the drink with something more available. The replacement drink could easily be something more caloric or sugary than the banned drink. Therefore, no change is made. Pure juices have the potential to be unhealthier than soda. These factors need to be considered when deciding what or what not to ban. It would be unfair to target soda and the companies that profit off of soda, without considering the other sugary products and their effect on the world. Some could argue that juice comes from fruit, while soda is artificial. Also, sugars in juice are more natural than the high fructose corn syrup. All the while, this is suppose to support the idea that juice is healthier than soda. However, according to the journal, Nutrition, fruit juice, on average, has a fructose concentration of about 45.5 grams per liter. 45.5 grams per liter is only a bit less than the average 50 grams per liter for
Drenkard, S. (2010). Overreaching on Obesity: Governments Consider New Taxes on Soda and Candy. Retrieved from http://heartland.org
In this policy advocacy brief, CCPHA is advocating for the implementation of California’s Soda Tax (AB 669). AB 669 would impose a one cent tax per ounce on soda as well as other sugar enriched drinks. This statewide tax ...
According to the American Heart Association, 23.9 million children ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese. In addition to them, 154.7 million adults are pudgy. That means more than one-third of children and two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight (Pages 1-3). Many Americans know about the high rates of obesity in our country. Michelle Obama, along with several other politicians and health professionals, push for recognition of these facts. They believe too many citizens are overweight and something has to change. The statistics raise several questions and problems, but of these conflicts, which ones are worth solving?
The obesity epidemic is one of the most pressing issues at this point in both American society and U.S. public policy initiatives. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 35.9% of U.S. adults over the age of twenty are obese (CDC, 2013). The CDC further notes that 69.2% of U.S. adults twenty years of age and over are overweight (this percentage includes those who are obese). The obesity problem is not exclusive to the adults in the U.S. The CDC notes that 18.4% of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 are currently obese (CDC, 2013). These statistics illustrate the severity of the obesity epidemic in this country, but what can be done to address or even correct this problem? Many people have proposed solutions, but few are as radical as the proposal from Michael Bloomberg (the New York City Mayor) in 2012.
A soda tax aims to stop consumers from buying soda to help those who are obese. This will not be effective. Therefore, a soda tax will not be good public policy. A soda tax is a tax that will add an extra cent per ounce to a bottle or can of a sugary drink, including juice, tea, coffee, energy drinks, and soda.
Obesity has become an epidemic in adults and children in the United States. Moreover, children are at risk of obesity because they do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and do not obtain enough physical activity. Also, children have a higher chance of developing health diseases related to obesity such as hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and pulmonary disease. In addition, obesity in children from ages one to seventeen is an issue in Texas, since children are not aware of the serious consequences of being obese. Therefore, Texas should find ways to prevent obesity by authorizing healthier school lunches and allowing a school program to help obese children lose weight. Also, television advertisements are influencing obese children to make unhealthy choices.
Obesity is a serious problem that increases year after year and affects the lives of many Americans. It is a problem that needs to be eradicated, but who is responsible for this problem? Some argue that individuals are responsible for their own weight; that it is a private concern. Some others, on the other hand, argue that it is a public concern; therefore, the government should play a significant role to stop reduce obesity from the public domain. They also argue that advertisements for junk food are factors that increase obesity. As persuasive as the advertisements can be and even with the help of the government, it is our decision to not eat healthy and end up in a state of obesity.
As a market failure, the obesity epidemic in America is costing the federal government billions of dollars annually. While most obesity prevention programs aim toward changing the rate of children who become obese, many fail, causing an inefficient allocation of government resources. Much of what 's already been done has proven to barely be a speed bump in the progression that is the obesity epidemic. Several solutions which can be explored to effective halt this progression. The taxation of certain unhealthy foods, government benefits and subsidies for organic produce farmers, and passing new legislation to regulate the amount of calories a fast food restaurant is allowed to serve you, just to name a few. These solutions, however, are only effective if they affect the lives of the majority of the population, therefore preventing obesity, whilst correctly allocating valuable government resources efficiently. ...
Mark Bittman’s article, “Taxing Sugar to Fund a city,” emphasizes that on one hand, the taxation of sugar sweetened beverages would be a bonus. On the other hand it could continue to not be supported by the people and government. Taxation of sugar sweetened beverages is being considered in many different places throughout the world. The taxation was becoming a failure everywhere, until it worked for the first time in several cities. Cites such as Northern California, San Francisco, Albany and Richmond. These cities opened up their ideas to this new type of taxation, once those places became supportive many others begin to also be supportive of this new taxation. Philadelphia plans to use the taxes received for the needy, community schools, public parks, recreation centers and libraries. Some cities support using the money this way rather than using the tax for safe free drinking water like in Berkley and Mexico. Taxed products
It is said that fast food advertising is linked to rising childhood and teen obesity. The childhood obesity epidemic is a serious public health problem that increases morbidity, morality, and has substantial long-term economic and social costs (opposing viewpoints). Approximately 20% of our youth are now overweight with obesity rates in preschool age children increasing at alarming speed (opposing viewpoints). U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona said, “obesity is the fastest-growing cause of illness and death in the United States.” When I read this I was shocked. This is something that can change, but its up to ourselves to make that commitment. No one else has the power to do so but us. Did you know that treating obesity-related problems cost Americans $117 billion annually, that’s $420 per person (CQ Researcher).
The United States needs to do something to change the amount of childhood obesity in the nation. If the government requires children to take classes that require physical activity, abolishes school vending machines, and teaches children about healthy eating, then the amount of children that are obese in the United States will decrease significantly. Obesity is defined as the increase of body fat over time to the point where it can impact health in a negative manner and decrease life expectancy. Since the 1980’s, obesity has increased dramatically in the United States. Children have been greatly impacted in the increase of obesity. This is a major problem as someday these obese children could possibly turn into obese adults. If the population of obese adults and children keeps increasing, than not only will our country have a lot of severely unhealthy people but the cost of health care will increase dramatically.