Should America Adopt a Fat Tax?
SodaHead News
2012/05/21 16:00:00
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Several months ago, Denmark became the first country in the world to adopt a "fat tax." The tax increased the price of certain fatty foods based on the fat content, kind of like the excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco that are already in place. Don't worry, there's currently no legislation in America threatening to tax fatty foods, but researchers are making a case for it in terms of fighting obesity.
Dr. Eric Wright, head of Indiana University School of Medicine's Department of Public Health, told RTV6, "We've applied tax to alcohol and tobacco and that has definitely shown through very many studies that it actually decreased use. So, the logic has been applied to fatty foods and preliminary evidence in Europe is that it’s very effective." The study suggests a 20 percent tax on cheeseburgers, but doesn't give any other examples. It expects to cut obesity rates by 3.5 and prevent 2,700 deaths. Do you think America should adopt a "fat tax"?
Dr. Eric Wright, head of Indiana University School of Medicine's Department of Public Health, told RTV6, "We've applied tax to alcohol and tobacco and that has definitely shown through very many studies that it actually decreased use. So, the logic has been applied to fatty foods and preliminary evidence in Europe is that it’s very effective." The study suggests a 20 percent tax on cheeseburgers, but doesn't give any other examples. It expects to cut obesity rates by 3.5 and prevent 2,700 deaths. Do you think America should adopt a "fat tax"?
Top Opinion
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The Libertarian 2012/05/21 17:32:36
I'd love to go to a primarily meat/cheese/fish type diet, more of a German thing, with sausages and whatnot, but the sauerkraut is what really helps them digest it.
Unfortunately, American portions aren't very kind.
Do you get the issue with that mindset? At what point do we get to punish you with the government for something we don't like you doing?
A lot of them are age restrictions. Written in between the laws on age restrictions are that an underage individual is too irresponsible. That is just an assumption. And I am fine with it because I am not desperate to drink alcohol.
A tax on unhealthy foods might discourage people from hurting themselves, even if they would like to ignore research done that it does hurt you. I am not trying to ban it outright. I actually wrote a book with this issue in it, and I am not ignorant on this and it's wrong of you to have that attitude towards someone you don't know.