Questions on ‘Taxing Twinkies’
With the American obesity problem continuing to attract attention in healthcare reform, a not so new idea is circulating in the discussion: the fat tax.
It’s an undoubtedly slippery slope. Does it contrast the core values of this country or is it an appropriate measure to cure a nationwide epidemic that is costing us dearly?
The idea is the tax serves as both a deterrent and money maker is no new concept, a similar reform has been implemented with cigarettes.
According to a study presented in JAMA earlier this year results in the United States over the past decade have varied state to state with an overall decrease in smoking nationally.
Suddenly the United States has a way to bring in revenue,while combating the spread of obesity. One recent study reports a fat tax has the potential to be a noteworthy money maker for America:
According to experts at the Urban Institute and the University of Virginia, a 10% excise or sales tax on fattening foods could raise $522 billion over the next 10 years. A 20% tax could raise $937 billion.
But with Congress’s demonstrable enthusiasm to burn through money, the public must have a few questions.
First, food and tobacco are different vices. Taxing tobacco products was straight forward enough—long term tobacco use will kill you, whether you’re smoking lights or heavies without a filter. Food is different. Just Coke? Or Diet Coke too? Cookies in general or just the really fatty(good) ones? Making that distinction is a political challenge, and could be present an unnecessarily easy opportunity for food lobbyist to dole out pay-offs, or tie up any definitive rulings with endless litigation.
Eating healthy food doesn’t guarantee a healthy weight. How will we ensure people understand the importance of portion control and consistent exercise? Programs promoting healthy lifestyle are a positive but they are a positive that costs money. Somebody is going to have to pay for the dietitians, organizers, trainers and ad campaigns to make this worth America’s while. Will revenue earned off the fat tax be responsible for that too?
What about everyday affordability? Healthy food is expensive, some people don’t have the money to buy it. How will the system adjust without pricing out less fortunate folks? Will there be an incentive to go healthy? A tax credit? Maybe a voucher program? Once again all this needs to be funded. Suddenly the proposed billions made off the tax are headed in a whole lot of directions, and those prospective savings start to shrink. The devil is in the details.
Is the fat tax a good idea? A bad one? How can the cash strapped United States make sure i’ts cost effective? Please share your thoughts and ideas.
August 5th, 2009 at 8:08 am
As a woman in love with Ron Paul, I detest any government intervention in our personal lives. Increased personal accountability is the key to a productive society and a truly evolved civilization. Do your personal best, do no harm. How much money would be spent deciding which foods were healthy? How many politicians would be getting campaign $$$ from Drake’s, Keebler, and Little Debbie.
August 5th, 2009 at 11:51 am
also aren’t folks who smoke too much, drink too much, do drugs (including OTC) too much, lay in the sun too much, have unprotected and irresponsible sex too much, stress out too much, etc. contributing to the rising cost of health care as greatly as those who eat too much???? I could go on with the examples……………I just don’t see how our society can draw such lines. Don’t those who land themselves in rehab for example cost the system loads of money, yet everyone is supposed to shell out for them. Sorry, again don’t see why us poor old fatties are the source of this problem!!!! cheers Matt!
August 18th, 2009 at 1:07 am
yah i think the whole thing is crazy. What about us poor food vendors who dish out the goods to the public…so now our costs go up? Forget that. You should be able to choose to eat whatever you want. they already took away drinking and smoking, now they wanna take away eating. Next they’ll start telling me i gotta join the army…o shnap