Taxing Junk Food

The federal government should not mandate a tax on food that may be considered unhealthy. Junk food has higher levels of unhealthy ingredients, including high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and artificial flavors and is definitely unhealthy. Junk food could include pre-packaged food, preserved food, or food served at fast-food restaurants. Unfortunately, for some, junk food is the only source of food to turn to. For example, in an urban environment, grocery stores are rare. Corner stores provide easy access to sustenance. These corner stores offer junk food at lower prices as the ingredients are cheaper due to federal government subsidies. A good start, if the concern is generating revenue, would be to stop subsidizing these industries so heavily.

People who work for long, unusual hours could have minimal opportunity to make their own food, and thus turn to a bag of chips or a Big Mac for nourishment. People with large families or small children depend on faster ways to get food. Even students who don’t have the time or money to take packed lunches to school will depend on food provided at school. School lunches are available at subsidized prices, however, the nutritional value is weak. First Lady Michelle Obama made it her mission to encourage the creation of healthier school lunches. Unfortunately, the current administration is changing the requirements for school lunches. Because many students avoid the school lunches, they depend on pre-packaged food sold in vending machines. My school sells Pop-Tarts and Cheetos which taste better and provide a larger serving than tasteless chicken sandwiches and limp salads. Many more students flock to the vending machines than the lunch line. A tax on foods would leave many students depending on the less-than-ideal school lunches. The only way this would work for students is if the nutritional value, cost, and taste of school lunches is dramatically improved. Keeping the same conditions, a tax on junk food would put many students out of