Do Americans eat too much fast food? Are fast food chains really the heart of Americans’ problem with unhealthy hearts? Many researchers and politicians would answer “yes” to both of those questions. In order to discourage Americans from eating unhealthy food several states are putting special taxes on “junk food”. The idea is that if people have to pay more money for food that is not good for them, then maybe they will start buying healthier food instead. Are extra taxes the solution to helping keep Americans healthy?
In Connecticut, food is usually not taxed because it is necessary to survive. However, not all food is actually good for you to eat. Therefore, Politicians in Connecticut decided that food that is unhealthy for you should be taxed. Unhealthy food includes soft drinks, soda, candy, and confectionery (or sugary food). Connecticut also taxes meals that are prepared in restaurants and fast food chains.
Are these taxes helpful? Does the tax really stop anyone from purchasing food that might be bad for them? For people who know about the extra tax it might discourage them from buying unhealthy food. However, not enough people know that they are paying extra for donuts, or fast food meals. Another problem is that healthy food is usually more expensive than unhealthy food. This means that even with the tax, it would still be cheaper to buy food that is not good for you.
I think that the tax is not a bad idea, because we want to encourage Americans to be healthy and eat well. However, people should be taught about the tax. Then people will know that they can save money by not buying “junk food”. I also think that healthy food should be less expensive than unhealthy food to encourage people to buy food that is good for them. With those changes, maybe the tax will help keep Americans’ hearts healthy.
Facts:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/rpt/2009-R-0037.htm
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2002/olrdata/fin/rpt/2002-r-1004.htm
Photo:
http://www.usaring.com/health/food/miniposter1r.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment