
Pay more to be fat?
Those extra pounds you packed on may be costing you more than your looks. There is talk about a tax on fatty foods, similar to the tax on cigarettes, because of growing health care costs for obesity. CNN Money says, "Come 2015, it is estimated that 40% of American adults will be obese, which is more than double the rate 40 years ago."
So you make fatty foods cost a little more and American obesity declines? Yeah ok. Fat America has obviously been a problem for a long time now…we know we're fat. So the weight loss market in America is hot—it seems there is an infinite amount ofdiet products, weight loss reality shows, gym commercials, even healthy choice menus at fast food joints. But wait, we're still fat.
Well then, it's logical that food must be the problem. Fatty foods of course contribute to excess weight, but our problem is portion size, not to mention how often we go out to eat. Both are an advertising dream. I don't care if you're a Victoria's Secretmodel, nothing looks better on TV than food. Plus, there are always those "get more pay less" deals at family restaurants.
§ T.G.I. Friday's endless lunch
§ Friendly's Create Your Own Meal (including a sundae)
Maybe the tax will cause the average obese shopper to choose low fat cheese, healthy cookies and fat free ice-cream. Well if they eat it all in large portions (assuming they do this regularly), then great! They've just consumed only 500 extra calories instead of 1,000. And that's not going to cause any weight loss whatsoever. A tax on fatty foods may make people consume less of them or even less calories, but it will be too insignificant to appease the problem.
Marketing food is one of the easiest things to do because unlike tobacco, you need it to live. The Urban Institute agrees that marketing is key, especially to children. Their study says a tax alone would not be sufficient to reduce obesity rates, and there should be bans on advertising fattening foods to children and more explicit labeling on fattening foods.
The media tempts people with unhealthy foods daily. Although ignoring these ads will help it won't solve our problem. Until they learn to make lifestyle changes, the fat is here to stay.
Fun link: Worldometer, check out those obesity rates!
"
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent The Munch News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST THE MUNCH NEWS
RECENT THE MUNCH CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- New Year, New You: Making Resolutions You Can Keep For A...
- New Year, New You: Making Resolutions You Can Keep For A...
- California’s New Flavored Tobacco Law Will Save K...
- New Year, New You: Making Resolutions You Can Keep For A...
- New Year, New You: Making Resolutions You Can Keep For A...
- Supplement Your Dental Care Routine
- 5G Home Internet: Powerful Enough For Your Home?
- How You Can Resolve To Be Smokefree In 2023
- A Unique Approach To Funding Education
- Give Plasma. Save Lives.
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- Cherrish Every Moment with Cherries from Chile
- Right Place, Right Time: Device Delivered by Medical...
- Twin Sisters at the Core of Dark Coming-of-Age Psycho...
- How to Become a CFP® Professional
- Tips for Choosing a Portable Generator
- School Choice is Opening Doors for Students
- BookTrib’s Bites: Some Tasty Morsels in Assorted Genres
- BookTrib’s Bites: Diverse Titles Sure to Hold Your I...
- BookTrib’s Bites: True Crime Inspirations, Dystopian G...
- Five Healthy Lifestyle Suggestions for the New Year from...
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Taylor & Francis Announces Environmental Sciences Call for Papers as a Call to Action to Save the Planet
- Chegg Announces Inaugural Student Mental Health Week to Address Growing Student Anxiety in the Age of Covid and Beyond
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Sharpen Your Business and Entrepreneurial Skills and Win Prizes Playing a Video Game
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show