TAX ON FAST FOOD?

Poor nutrition and obesity is a problem in many developed countries and some people believe that a tax on fast food would reduce the problem. Do you agree?

With a steady increase in calories intake in affluent countries, researchers are finding ways to address the obesity problem. While many public health experts believe a junk food tax would encourage a healthy lifestyle by mitigating the consumption of unhealthy foods, they need to consider the downsides too.

As in the case of any excise duties, low-income populations would expose critical vulnerability. Obviously, this measure puts the poor to the expense of unhealthy food tax, which would decrease their annual income. Therefore, it is likely that the impoverished have a tendency to switch to proper-sit-down meals or choose other sources of food, which can have the same health-risk level as fast food. Real concern in the future, thus, is insufficient food due to price increase and travel costs to faraway supermarkets.

This policy is problematic not only for consumers but also for the economic. It is the fact that low-income populations ingest more junk food than high-income ones, which makes them potential customers of convenience food retailers. Excise tax is, evidently, has a discernible impact on retailers’ business. As less customers visit their restaurants, they ought to cut back on employees’ salary along with implement employment termination plans. This results in the growth of unemployment rate and more government’s budget spent on subsidizing citizens’ daily expenses.

In conclusion, such a tax is considered improper because fast food is an essential need for the poor. Also, the economic would be suffered from this measure. Hence, policymakers should try to think of other solutions to combat malnutrition and overweight.