This cartoon is actually a bit outdated. Sources now put the U.S. population at almost 70% overweight....and climbing. This is an enormous area of concern for the United States. Obesity and obesity related diseases are accounting for a high-percentage of health related costs. Obesity leads to diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and countless other conditions. Children are now contracting type II diabetes (typically considered to be adult-onset diabetes) at ages like 12, 11, even 10 or younger. There's no doubt this condition is an enormous contributor to rising health care costs. What might be the cause? It's no one thing but an abundance of high-fat, high-sugar foods is a major cause. Cheap calorie-packed fast food is another cause. The fact that children drink more soda than milk (one can contains 34 packets of sugar) is adding to it. We experienced a similar epidemic a few years ago with tobacco consumption. Instead of just letting tobacco kill everyone, the Government stepped in and states began instituting high taxes on tobacco, using revenue to fund state budgets and also wage a war warning of the risks of tobacco consumption. Tobacco consumption went way down, state budgets were gaining a lot of money, and people were healthier. My question is, why couldn't this be applied to high-fat, high-sugar foods? In fact it already has. In Alabama they instituted a 2-cent per 12-oz tax on just soft drinks and generated $44 million in a year. So if obesity is a contributor to rising health costs, and obesity is largely caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, why not tax the behavior caused by it instead of making the rich pick up the tab? I wrote a 10 page research paper on this very subject last year for an English class and actually presented part of the paper to a body of about 300 students. Could this work in America? Is it unfair to the companies that are producing this food? Would Americans be outraged at paying more for their unhealthy foods? Would the effect be similar to the tax on tobacco in curbing consumption of these junk-foods? I am interested to hear other opinions on this idea..
Monday, November 17, 2008
Should the U.S. push states to institute a "Junk-food tax?"
This cartoon is actually a bit outdated. Sources now put the U.S. population at almost 70% overweight....and climbing. This is an enormous area of concern for the United States. Obesity and obesity related diseases are accounting for a high-percentage of health related costs. Obesity leads to diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, stroke, and countless other conditions. Children are now contracting type II diabetes (typically considered to be adult-onset diabetes) at ages like 12, 11, even 10 or younger. There's no doubt this condition is an enormous contributor to rising health care costs. What might be the cause? It's no one thing but an abundance of high-fat, high-sugar foods is a major cause. Cheap calorie-packed fast food is another cause. The fact that children drink more soda than milk (one can contains 34 packets of sugar) is adding to it. We experienced a similar epidemic a few years ago with tobacco consumption. Instead of just letting tobacco kill everyone, the Government stepped in and states began instituting high taxes on tobacco, using revenue to fund state budgets and also wage a war warning of the risks of tobacco consumption. Tobacco consumption went way down, state budgets were gaining a lot of money, and people were healthier. My question is, why couldn't this be applied to high-fat, high-sugar foods? In fact it already has. In Alabama they instituted a 2-cent per 12-oz tax on just soft drinks and generated $44 million in a year. So if obesity is a contributor to rising health costs, and obesity is largely caused by an unhealthy lifestyle, why not tax the behavior caused by it instead of making the rich pick up the tab? I wrote a 10 page research paper on this very subject last year for an English class and actually presented part of the paper to a body of about 300 students. Could this work in America? Is it unfair to the companies that are producing this food? Would Americans be outraged at paying more for their unhealthy foods? Would the effect be similar to the tax on tobacco in curbing consumption of these junk-foods? I am interested to hear other opinions on this idea..
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5 comments:
Interesting idea, I'll definitely have to give this some more thought as it is something new. Thanks for your thoughts.
The more and more we look to government to take common everyday responsibilities off of our shoulders and begin regulating what we as a people should be regulating ourselves, the weaker and weaker we become as a society. Unable to solve our own problems and unwilling to bear the responsibilities that solving our own problems create.
The American peoples dependance on their government is eroding our society. America is not the problem solving nation it used to be. Its CEO's are flying to Washington in private jets to ask for $50 Billion in bail outs. While its poor are being suppressed by free checks for unproductive behavior.
America has been cleverly fooled into thinking that life should be easy. All of this "earning our bread by the sweat of our face" crap is so yesterday right? I mean we are industrialized, a modern society. We beat the Nazis for crying out loud. Good bye hard work and sorrow and HELLO iPhone (paid for with that government stimulus check of course).
We ask the blessings of God on every dollar that we print yet we petition our government for handouts that God was never willing to promise. I want to pay for my own school. I want that responsibility. I do not want my debt to be taken from me in return for the ever present regulations of the giver. It is a debt you can not pay off. We as a nation have become increasingly willing to trade in our anxieties and fears for the supposed security of increased regulation. This is a farce and as Benjamin Franklin eloquently stated; "Anyone who trades liberty for security deserves neither liberty nor security." (This statement goes for the Patriot Act as well.)
Excuse me if this seemed a little long winded but the idea that responsible Twinkie consumption is any group or individuals job to regulate but my own puts me into full fetal position.
Yes, obesity is a growing concern for the country and is undoubtedly putting a strain on health care costs, but is more government taxes and regulations the best answer? I'd have to say no, for the exact same reasons Matt so beautifully outlined.
I'd also like to point out 2 important distinctions between cigarettes and Big Macs. 1.) The stigma attached; and 2.) the marketing practices of the two industries. Explanation: remember all the Joe Camel and Marlboro commercials you used to see back in the mid 90's? Smoking used to be so cool! Now you see more Nicorette commercials and ads for support groups for quitting. The surgeon general's label is also more pronounced on cig packs. I'm trying to get at the fact that there are other reasons why smoking (in general) and the tobacco industry has receded than just higher taxes. People on the whole are more aware of the dangers associated with tobacco, and it seems that most who are addicted realize that it is a pretty disgusting habit and would like to quit. I think the public service announcements and the gentle nudges from their friends, spouses, families, and co-workers all go much further than the few extra pennies or dollars they have to spend (taxes) to indulge their addictions.
In contrast, do you see commercials that are blatantly anti-fast food and sugar? Do you read a surgeon general's warning about the harmful effects of fatty, sugary foods when walking into a Wendy's? Are there hotlines set up to help people fight the urge when they get a hankering for a Whopper? There is a different stigma attached, which is why I think a higher tax would have minimal effects on the overall consumption of fatty foods.
I also see other factors contributing to the increased overweight population. Mainly the de-emphasis of the importance of living an active lifestyle. It seems that kids nowadays (I feel so old when I say that, ha ha) are much more into XBox, PS3, World of Warcraft, and vegging out than other healthier activities. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a good video game every now and then, but I get much more enjoyment out of 2-3 hours on the basketball court, going for a jog, or spending an hour in the weight room.
For these reasons, I think the best way to "fix" America's obesity problem is to increase overall awareness and education about the benefits of eating right, staying active, and the dangers associated with too many Big Macs (The documentary 'Supersize Me' comes to mind). I think these alternatives would lead to the desired results much quicker than more mandates, taxes, and regulations on the fast food and/or soda industries.
I'm a big no on this one. I fully agree with Matt - for once ; ) It seems similar to the lottery here in Oregon which pays for our education system by taking advantage of the least educated segments of society and making them pay to educate others. Seems a little backward to me. I think people should have access to education and then the freedom to do with it what they like. Leave my potato chips alone.
I find it interesting that we are willing to wage a multi-trillion dollar war against a country which may (or may not) have had intentions on carrying out an attack on the U.S. but when it comes to an epidemic killing millions of Americans every year we chalk it up to liberty and agency. At least someone out there (the U.S. government in my own personal opinion) could make an effort to educate the public on ways to live a healthier lifestyle. Some statiticians have said that within x amount of years at the rate we are going 100% of the population will be obese (obviously impossible) but I think it proves a point that if we just stand idly by doing nothing, this is going to continue to grow and we are going to watch millions of people die.
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