Is a Fax Tax Really Necessary? When it comes to the topic of putting a tax on junk food, most of us will readily agree that it would help the obesity problem in America. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of taxing those foods and drinks that contain a lot of fat and sugar. Whereas some are convinced that it would help America tackle the obesity problem. Others maintain that it would just end up hurting America in many different other ways besides obesity. The current population of America would agree that having a tax on these products wouldn’t necessarily mean that I would cease the consumption of these food thus lowing the obesity epidemic in the country. Everyone in the world has known America through many …show more content…
In 2003, U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona, concerned that fewer young people were meeting the physical fitness standards required of military recruits, declared obesity a threat to U.S. national security more dire than weapons of mass destruction” (“Obesity Epidemic”). Which has called for the government and scientists to come up with a plan to help lower the obesity epidemic in America. The reason for this call of action is because of the alarming rate of the growth of obesity in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “69.1% of American adults age 20 years and over are either overweight or obese. This percentage has increased steadily over the past three decades, and if the trend continues, the entire adult population will be wither overweight or obese within 75 years” (Baird). This epidemic will become a larger than it already is and there would be a point that there would be no way to solve that problem. In order, to help lower the rate of obesity. Many politicians and doctors have team up together create a fat tax on fatty foods. “A fat tax is a specific tax placed on foods considered to be unhealthy and contribute towards obesity. The tax could be placed on foods high in sugar/fat, such as crisps, chocolate and deep fried takeaways. It would be similar in principle to a cigarette or alcohol tax”
With obesity rates increasing at an exponential rate, a tax on fat foods and specifically high sugar beverages of 20% or about 1 cent per ounce could reduce obesity rates by 3.5%, bringing the rate down to 30% among adults (Kalaidis). While 3.5% may not sound like a lot, if you take an approximate U.S. population of 350 million people, suddenly that mere 3.5% turns into over 12 million Americans who would no longer be considered obese. Marion Nestle, a well-respected expert in food policy, recently conducted a study investigating the impact of a junk food tax through predictive modeling. Her study revealed that 2,600 deaths, 9,500 heart attacks, and 240,000 new cases of diabetes could be prevented with a simple 1 cent per ounce tax on sugary beverages (Satran). A junk food tax of this kind could greatly increase the health of the American public as a whole by reducing death rates and healthcare
“Obesity is a disease that affects more than one-third of the U.S adult population (approximately 78.6 million Americans). The number of Americans with obesity had steadily increase since 1960, a trend that has slowed down in recent years but show no sign of reversing”.
One of the most commonly discussed issues of America in the last few decades has been obesity. It remains one of the biggest problems in American society and requires a careful, systematic but also immediate solution. Obesity is a term used to describe body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. Today, 65% of adults in the U.S. are overweight and half of those are obese. The rates for children are smaller but they are not satisfying either: 15% are overweight and another 15% are headed that way (Lemonick). Besides the aesthetic problems for many people that this condition creates, it is most importantly known as the main cause of serious health problems as well.
The last decade has welcomed, with open arms, a new epidemic: obesity. Currently in the United States, more than one-third of adults, 35.7%, and approximately 17% of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is not only a problem in the US but also worldwide with its prevalence doubling in high income and economically advanced countries and is also growing in under-developed areas. Its incidence rate is continually increasing with each successive generation and in each age group, including the elderly (Byles, 2009; Dorner and Rieder, 2011).
Obesity in the United States has been a serious problem affecting Americans and has been continually growing higher in numbers each year. American obesity has nearly doubled within the last 40 years and is now considered to be an epidemic that is affecting millions of people around the nation. According to the National institute of Diabetes and digestive and kidney Diseases, 31% of men and 35% of women are considered seriously overweight, along with 15% of children between the ages of six and nineteen are also overweight. The lack of physical inactivity and extreme poor dieting are catching up to almost the same threat as cigarettes and tobacco smoking. We as a nation are considered to be the fattest country in the world.
In modern America obesity is one of the largest problems. Obesity rates have more than doubled in adults and children since the 1970s (Food Research and Action Center P.1). This significant increase of obesity in Americans has caused the number of issues that range from traditional health problems to national defense.
Since the 1980’s, obesity has been a huge issue in America. Obesity is the condition of being extremely overweight. Several Americans today are eating too much food and not exercising enough. Americans today fail to realize how important it is to stay healthy and fit. Obesity is a result of the body receiving more calories than needed. Once a human consumes too many calories, the body stores these additional calories which becomes body fat. Over time, these excess calories will result in weight gain. Individuals will gain less weight if they ingest fewer calories. The obesity epidemic is getting worse day by day and it’s beginning to control the lives of Americans. Therefore, it is our job as Americans to rid of this epidemic before it seizes
The United States of America, a nation that is known for it’s power, independence, and obesity. In the past few decades, this country has been suffering from an epidemic of obesity and diabetes. The government should increase the sales tax on fatty and high-sugar junk food to encourage healthy eating and help the American people. The revenue raised could be used to support greater causes and pay for health care reform. This might be the solution this country needs.
Obesity has been a problem in the United States for far too long, and it is time for the government to take action and protect the health of its citizens. This could be accomplished by taxing junk food and subsidizing healthy food, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats. The easiest foods to find and the cheapest foods to buy are foods that contain large amounts of calories and few nutrients (“What’s Behind the Obesity Epidemic”). This means that obesity disproportionately affects poor families (Mitchell, Catenacci, Wyatt, & Hill). In order to redress this issue, the government should put extra taxes on foods with high amounts of calories with few nutrients to act as a deterrent and keep people from buying them. The money gained from the taxes
With a growing epidemic of obesity in America, some states and lawmakers have resorted to taking unconventional measures in order to counter the growing issue. Many legislators are debating the effectiveness of a “fat tax” would be on limiting the consumption of soda, high fat foods, and high sugar foods, and ultimately reducing the rate of morbidity and mortality due to obesity. The idea is that long term consumption of high fat, high sugar foods and drinks lead to many health problems, so making them more expensive and less accessible should decrease the health issues related to their consumption.
Two out of every three Americans are considered to be overweight or obese. The growing obesity rate has led to high cholesterol, and an increase in chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. Can a tax on sugar and fat laden “junk” foods curb over-consumption? This works in theory, but in reality there are solid reasons why this tax won’t work. There are a large number of Americans that live in “food deserts” with limited access to healthy foods. For an obese person to make wise food choices, they must first value their health. Raising the price of unhealthy foods won’t instill value on health. One of the main
The fat tax is a proposed tax on certain unhealthy foods that lead to the development of certain medical conditions such as obesity. As obesity is a growing concern of many Americans, arguments can be made about how effective a fat tax may be if implemented. The opposing group argues that the implementation of a fat tax would discourage the consumption of unhealthy foods, reduce costs of medical treatment, and obtain government funding. Although our opposition has some strong points, there are still unanswered questions that need to be addressed.
It was merely a decade ago that the obesity epidemic was thought to only be a minor problem and had only alarmed a small number of endocrinologists interested by the size of the situation (James, 2008). However today, the problem of obesity is vast with more awareness of its presence by doctors and individuals alike. In fact, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention states, “More than one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese (CDC, 2014)”. These numbers are outrageous and eye opening, leaving millions looking for a solution to this troubling epidemic. Obesity is not simply a cosmetic flaw as some might think, but is actually a very dangerous state of being for any individual to sustain long-term. Mentioned further in
People now days have the risk of getting obese ever since the epidemic of fast food restaurants has diffused across the U.S., “over a third of U.S. adults are obese” (Finkelstein) and “About a third of U.S kids are overweight and obese” (Cunningham). The foods that they serve at fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Sonic, and many others are addicting, and easily accessible due to their low prices, which by many Americans would tend to buy fast food from those fast food restaurants. There must be an end to this obesity issue in hopes of preventing any future fatalities due to improper and unhealthy eating; thus a "fat tax" should be required on fast food establishments across the U.S. Since most Americans tend to eat more
Economic costs of obesity are increasing and will continue to do so if nothing is done. Healthy Communities for A Healthy Future state that the estimated annual health care costs related to obesity are 190 billion dollars. This is 21% of total health care costs. This includes direct costs, such as preventive and treatment services, while indirect costs include income lost to days debilitated or future income lost to death. On an individual level, an obese person will cost 42% more in health care than a person of healthy weight. A tax directly related to products known to cause obesity would offset the cost of health care, and hopefully result in less obesity in the Nation.