Taxes have been around for thousands of years. Their main purpose has always been to raise money for the government or those who were in charge. Today, many people want to use taxes for a different reason and some have already done so. Some people want to use taxes to prevent people from buying certain items, specifically unhealthy foods. Many health conscious people will talk about the many benefits of taxing unhealthy foods, but they tend to leave out the drawbacks of taxing such things. The drawbacks include the large opposition to this tax, the economic impact, as well as the consequences of charging people more for food that was originally considered low in price. At the end of the day, implementing an unhealthy food tax would not be in the best interest of the nation. There are many people who oppose implementing an unhealthy food tax or a “Fatty Foods” tax. Everyone knows that unhealthy foods can cause health problems. The thing is, it should be the person’s choice on what kind of foods they want to eat. That is a benefit of living in a free country: choice. It should be up to the individual if they want to eat foods that are healthy or foods that are deemed unhealthy. People know the consequences of their actions. They know that some foods are high in calories and cholesterol. Taxing unhealthy foods will only frustrate the masses. Many people will find other ways to buy these foods or they will go out and buy the cheaper brands as seen in Denmark. Denmark enforced a tax on their people for foods “exceeding 2.3% saturated fat content” (Pieler). Some of Denmark’s citizens were seen crossing the borders into the nearby countries of Germany and Sweden so they could buy their favorite foods without extra costs. That tax was la... ... middle of paper ... ...Journal of Public Health 103.11 (2013): 1949-53. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Mar. 2014. Katz, David L., MD. "Dr. Katz's Tips for Absorbing Vitamins." Oprah.com. N.p., Apr. 2010. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Killian, Johnny H. "Constitution of the United States." United States Senate. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2014. Kittle, M. D. "Fast-food Tax Would Punish the Poor, WI Economist Says." Wisconsin Reporter. : Watchdog.org, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. McKay, Betsy. "What Role Should Government Play in Combating Obesity?" The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Norton, Amy. "Most Americans Oppose Soda, Candy Taxes." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 25 Apr. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. Pieler, George, and Jens Laurson. "Taxes on "Fatty Foods", And Their Unintended Consequences." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
Balko’s use of informative statistics makes the reader think about government’s role with obesity, and how much they should to do with it being solved. For example, President Bush put $200 million into his budget for anti-obesity measures, and some Senators, including Joe Lieberman, made the call for a “fat-tax” on high calorie foods. Although it appears these politicians and government officials are all trying to help society and this growing problem in America, many would agree they are just hurting the cause. I remember when I
"The United States Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Web. 09 Aug. 2010. .
Drenkard, S. (2010). Overreaching on Obesity: Governments Consider New Taxes on Soda and Candy. Retrieved from http://heartland.org
Holden, Diana. "Fact Check: The Cost of Obesity." CNN. Cable News Network, 09 Feb. 2010. Web. 06 May 2012.
Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active.
Goldstein, Hesh. Why There is an Obesity Epidemic. 16 Nov. 2009. 12 Nov. 2011 .
"Obesity." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Ranging from heart disease to diabetes the consequences of unhealthy eating are well known across the population, yet not much is being done to stop this. According to the World Health Organization, it is projected that by 2030, Diabetes will become the 7th leading cause of death in the world. Why let things spiral out of control and continue postponing a sugar tax? If there is anything that the US government can do is impose this tax. Even if the change is small in comparison to the entire population of the US, these are potential lives being saved. Just like the worst case scenario of smoking is lung cancer, the worst case scenario of obesity is diabetes. Excess sugar should be considered as big of a threat as any other potentially addictive chemical, and should therefore be taxed like one for the safety of the
It is sad. People from all races and backgrounds are obese. In a recent survey done at Henry Ford College, 43 percent of students were overweight. Whether it is because they do not follow a healthy diet or they inherited it from their parents. Being overweight is correlated with lacking exercise or physical activity and not watching what is on the plate. Obesity can cause many illnesses, including diabetes, which is very common. As the debate whether soda tax should take effect arises, critics say that the tax will help those with obesity-related illnesses. What about exercising and maintaining a healthy lifestyle? These two factors cannot be forgotten knowing they are the most important. Americans have consumed 12 percent of soda and become less active since 1970. 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.
Brody, Jane E. “Attacking the Obesity Epidemic by First Figuring Out Its Cause.” New York Times. 12 September 2011. Print.
The government must have a say in our diets. Because the issues of obesity have already reached national scales, because the costs of obesity and related health issues have gone far beyond reasonable limits, and because fighting nutritional issues is impossible without fighting poverty and other social issues, the government should control the range and the amount of available foods. The cost of healthier foods should decrease. The access to harmful foods should be limited. In this way, the government will be able to initiate a major shift in nutritional behaviors and attitudes in society.
One of the big controversies in this argument is who decides what foods are considered healthy and which foods will fall under the tax. Does this responsibility go to the legislators, to the nutritionist experts, or does it go to the people who are consuming these foods? The legislators create these bills to be implemented, but do they have the knowledge to know what nutrients the body needs on a daily or weekly basis? How much fat needs to be in a food for it to be put under the fat tax?
Junk food is a favorite in this society. Fast food restaurants make it easier to grab food on the go. The greasier or sweeter food is the better. But junk food and sugary has caused many health problems. If there was a junk food tax, the government was target foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, foods that the main source is salt, energy drinks, caffeinated beverages and foods, and soft drinks with high sugar content.(Todorova, Elena 1.1-1.4) I believe adding taxes to junk food could help the decrease many health problem, but I will do more research before I make a decision.
In conclusion, obesity has become a growing problem in the United States, and a stand needs to be taken against it for our future success. American citizens need to take a stand against the factories and businesses who sell unhealthy foods. To become a healthier country, American citizens have to become more disciplined and stop eating unhealthy foods. It is time for