Obesity is a near- universal issue, with almost all individuals becoming overweight. While some argue that rising the price of fattening foods could help reduce obesity rates, I firmly disagree. A more effective approach would be to educate people about health eating habits and nutrition.
There are several reasons why the idea of increasing food prices is not a viable solution. One of them is that this would not deter food lovers. This is because, people have a strong desire to eat more calories- rich foods: fast food, chips and confectionery. Especially young teenagers eat them not just because they are cheap but because they enjoy the flavor or feel comfortable. Therefore, rising cost would not change individual’s behavior. For instance, in the USA, everything is more expensive than in other countries. At the same time, food items, both healthy and unhealthy, are also more costly. Nevertheless, many people tend to consume fast food such as hotdogs, pizza or burgers, despite the high price.
One possible solution would be to educate people about the importance of the healthy lifestyle. Since, nutritional knowledge is limited among many individuals, particularly young adults. This issue arises from the lack of a dedicated subject or class in schools to teach children about healthy eating habits. As a result, people are not knowledgeable to make healthy choices which often leads obesity. If people had been well educated from early age, overweight rates would not have increased. For example, Japanese people are more likely to stay healthy longer than other nationalities. This is because, from young age, they study extensive nutritional information. They study it well at school and after school, they have access to nutrition classes which is a beneficial method to stay healthy. This leads to lower rates of health issues such as obesity, diabetes or others.
In conclusion, although some believe that rising the price of fattening foods could not reduce obesity rates, I argue that this approach ineffective. Instead, educating people about healthy eating habits can lead to better food choices. This, in turn, helps reduce the obesity risk in the long term.