The so called “fat tax” has been a matter of debate in society where some people argue that governments should tax unhealthy foods while others think that it’s an unfair thing to do. While both arguments have logical reasonings behind, I support that this tax is unnecessary.
In order to solidify my beliefs, I should discuss the opposing view. Taxing unhealthy foods can be a solution for countries with increasing obesity rates. Taking a societal approach to the consumption of unhealthy foods can help to reach a wider crowd. In addition, the inclusion of the government emphasize the gravity of the situation. It is also important to note that this approach most probably will be effective since it uses money as a type of negative reinforcement. Overall, the feasibility of this possible regulation brings out the benefits.
Building on this, I still believe that the benefits of “fat tax” aren’t enough to overweigh the fact that it’s too controversial to apply to daily life. The reason why some people might think that the “fat tax” is unfair can be its discriminatory nature. The tax consequentially targets certain people and communities such as overweight individuals. This approach basically puts money and health as equals, and make individuals pay for their eating habits. On the other hand, taxing unhealthy foods has an extreme risk of pushing people to develop eating disorders. As a student who occasionally buys snacks from the school cafeteria, I’m sure that having a reminder of extra calories would damage my relationship with food, let alone lead to anorexia. Therefore I agree with the people who doesn’t support the fat tax.
Hollistically, taxing unhealthy foods can be seen as an applicable solution. However, it feasibility doesn’t change the discriminatory and psychological aspects of the issue.