Rethinking an Argument against Fat Taxes in the US

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While nobody denies we have a problem with taxation in this country for food, beverages, and everything that we buy in general, I believe that we should have a fat tax to detour people from buying soda and other fattening foods. We should also ban sodas and other fattening foods from vending machines in schools, and replace them with more healthy selections.

In the article “What You Eat Is Your Business”, the author claims, Americans need to be more responsible for their own health and the government should not become involved (Balko). I argue this point; the American people have been tempted into buying foods that are unhealthy, cheap, and convenient, and we cannot be responsible when foods like this are so easy and available to purchase. We are also one of the fattest nations in the world. He conveys in the article that we should have some sort of responsibility for what we put into our own body (Balko), but I feel that with all of the tempting foods being right at our fingertips, we are getting fatter and fatter. When we turn on the television at night, and every fifteen minutes a food commercial comes on. When we go to school, there are vending machines in every building. Nobody offers water anymore with our meals; it costs extra just to get a cup for water with a meal.

According to The World Health Organization, “Obesity is the imbalance between declining energy expenditure due to physical inactivity and high energy in the diet (excess calories whether from sugar, starches or fat) …. Increasing physical activity, in addition to reducing intakes of food high in fat and foods and drinks high in sugars, can prevent unhealthy weight gain” (Who). The World Health Organization has recognized that soda and other sugary drinks a...

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... for people on lower incomes they would not be forced to eat starchy foods such as bread and potatoes.

In conclusion, I believe Balko should rethink his argument and add some more evidence that the socialization of medicine is wrong. He might also include some suggestions on how to lose weight and become slim and healthy. The article almost sounds like an attack on obese people. Without any effective type of knowledge to loose weight and to have a proper place for every American to exercise properly I believe more and more people will become obese. I believe this is an attack on our government for caring about people’s weight. We have to consider all of the people that get Diabetes and Heart Disease from drinking soda (AJPH), which in turn makes us obese. I believe we all might need a little direction in our health concerns and bad habits.

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