Fat Tax for Australia: Obesity Epidemic

Obesity has both direct and indirect effects. Direct effects we will explore are lost time due to increased use of sick days and restrictive work duties. A few of the indirect costs are the cost of medication for diseases directly related to obesity, such as but not limited to, Diabetes, High

Explain to individuals about the consequences of a poor diet choice. For example, obesity can lead to heart disease, varicose veins, diabetes and arthritis. High cholesterol and diets high in salt can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

* Explain individuals about the consequences of a poor diet choice. For example, obesity can lead to heart disease, varicose veins, diabetes and arthritis. High cholesterol and diets high in salt can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

From a public health perspective, the consequences of this are a clear epidemic of obesity, defined typically as a condition in which excess weight or body fat contributes to potentially negative effects for the person There are also numerous health risks; heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver, arthritis, diabetes (most especially those overweight), and numerous other aches and pains that keep Americans out of work costing America over $80 billion dollars, or almost 10% of all medical expenditures

“During the past two decades, the prevalence of obesity in children has risen greatly worldwide. Obesity in childhood causes a wide range of serious complications, and increases the risk of premature illness and death later in life, raising public-health concerns.” (Ebbeling, Pawlak & Ludwig, 2002 p.471) Currently in the Australian community and schools there is an obesity epidemic in young people with many children doing less and less physical activity then advised. “In 2007-08 the National health survey, run by the Australian Government indicated that 24.9% of children aged 5-17 years old were either overweight or obese” (Healthy Active, 2009). These figures show that children are not being properly educated about healthy

Obesity can be defined as being 20% or more over the ideal body weight for your age and height. It is a chronic disease that can lead to a number of different illnesses and other diseases . These potentially deadly illnesses include diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, coronary vascular disease, heart attack, stroke, sleep apnoea and even cancer. Obesity is becoming more common in Australia as we speak with 10% more adults being overweight or obese in Australia than in 1995. According to recent statistics 63% of adults and 1 in 4 Australian children are overweight or obese.

Childhood obesity is a pressing national health issue that requires policy attention at either the federal or state level. The health care costs associated with childhood obesity is staggering and according to the Duke Global Health Institute, “Childhood obesity comes with an estimated price tag of $19,000 per child when comparing lifetime medical costs to those of a normal weight child” (Duke Global Health Institute, 2014). Lack of action on the part of policymakers will only increase the number of obese children and the medical cost associated with it. The best way to address this issue is not by overt, heavy handed government action, but by policy prescriptions that indirectly influence behavior. The following three policy tools will leave

The rate of childhood obesity has grown an enormous amount over the years with more than 40 million children being overweight! That number is astonishingly high and it is very obvious that something needs to be done about this. Studies had shown in 2008 that more than 40 million children were said to be overweight and the sad truth is that they are still increasing rapidly to this day; also every 1 in 4 teenagers is said to not reach the fitness guidelines (Tanner) according to an article by Lindsey Tanner. For this problem to be resolved not only do the parents of children need to make sure their kids are staying active but also, the schools they attend need to make sure they are getting a well-balanced meal and have some type of physical activity during their school day. Each state in America is given a percentage rate on the number of obese people in that particular state. The highest ranking state is Mississippi with a percentage of 34.9 and the state ranking the least is Connecticut with 24.5 percent. Different researches have shown that each day 850 lives are taken due to obesity and each year there are more than 300,000 people that die from obesity related illnesses. These are deaths that most likely could have been avoided if these individuals would have had the proper exercise and diet in their lives.

The Task Force came up with a collaborative plan that was organized, had measurable standards, and a plan of action to help fight the war against obesity. Their projected goal was to decrease obesity to 5% by 2030. (Let’s Move! n.d.). In order to achieve this goal it will require a joint effort from elected officials on the local, state and national level. The professionals, religious organizations, families, communities and the private sectors all have to participate in this effort in order for it to become a

Obesity in the United States has really become an economic problem as well. People are spending the little money that they have and spending it on food that they shouldn’t be eating in the first place, which they should be spending their money on healthier and nutritious food, for themselves and their family. New England Medical Center, Michael Dansinger of the Tufts says:

Other people believe fat tax should in fact be a new taxation, it is believed that if this taxation is established the obese will motivate themselves to exercise and live a healthier lifestyle. By taxing the obese there will be a reduced obesity rate in the United States, however they need to change their aspect in their life and it starts by eating healthy and exercising. Also the government could use the money as an aid and use it to fight against obesity and make programs that fight against obesity, and make special programs that could reduce obesity in

High obesity rates cause many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, gout, tooth decay, and many more.

The current problem with overweight became more and more serious with sad effects on the nation 's health, especially for the young generation, that’s why the probability of implementing fat tax constantly increased in spite of the strong power of the opposition, such as McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Starbucks, and others. More than one-third of Americans have problems with overweight and obesity, the Fat Tax can be a way to pay more attention of society on the problem with obesity, promote a healthy eating lifestyle, improve public health and refill government budget, but it was important to make implementing slowly and thoughtfully for getting best results instead of collapsing and higher prices on products.

Linked with health problems is a poor diet. Variations in our food environment have made it challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Society tends to want to eat more fast-food rather than cooking at home because it is cheaper and less time-consuming. We have become lazy when it comes to our diets. We don’t take into consideration the Food Guide and basically eat what we want, when we want. Obesity is also a major drain on the economy. The amount of money being spent on health care because of obesity-related diseases is astronomical. The Globe and Mail had an article headlined, “Obesity costs economy up to $7-billion a year” (Picard). By eating right and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, our society can cut down economic costs drastically. All we need to have is some discipline, the proper diet, and exercise.

Obesity can cause other health problems to occur. There is a direct like between obesity and type 2 diabetes. It also put you at higher risk of developing certain types of cancer and other illnesses