Nowadays, an immeasurable number of people are experiencing health issues as a consequence of consuming too much junk food. This essay agrees that the government should obligate a higher tax for fast food companies. The main reasons for this are rising obesity rates and increasing environmental degradation.
More and more people are struggling due to overweight and other arising health conditions caused by eating an excessive amount of cheap convenience foods. In other words, the trend of consuming highly processed meals has led to a rise in health-related problems such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. In the USA, for instance, average weight has changed drastically from 86 kg to 92 kg over the 10-year period, when the prices for fast food decreased. Therefore, the inadequate taxation on unhealthy food options is driving a public health crisis marked by rising obesity and related diseases.
One significant reason for imposing a higher tax on fast food is its contribution to environmental degradation. Fast food chains often rely on large-scale meat production, which leads to deforestation, excessive water use, and increased greenhouse gas emissions. For example, a 2019 study found that McDonald’s alone used over 153,000 tons of packaging in one year, much of which ended up in landfills. By increasing taxes on fast food, governments could reduce consumption and minimize environmental damage from meat production and packaging waste.
To conclude, unhealthy food must be charged at a greater tax rate to prevent the increasing obesity levels among citizens and to avoid worsening environmental conditions through massive production.