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Food Fight: Junk Food Tax

Should Junk Food be taxed more to discourage consumption? Junk Food should be taxed
more for reasons such as Obesity, Diabetes, and High Blood Pressure, etc. These health risks are
linked to the consumption of Junk Food, which is consumed every day by many Americans. 10
percent tax would reduce consumption of soda by 8 to 10 percent. Even though some people
believe that Junk Food Tax wont curb the many diseases linked to it, Junk Food Taxes
could decrease the risks of diseases, limit consumption due to prices and bring awareness to
many common diseases like Obesity.
Junk Food should be taxed more is because it could lessen the risks of diseases. Eating
excessive carbohydrates increases the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes (Nissen and
Teicholz). With the low prices of junk food now, people are more likely to buy it and are at a
greater risk of getting one of the associated diseases. People would not buy Junk food if it cost
more because it may be more than they can afford. If the prices were higher, people would buy
less of it, which means there would be less consumption and a lower risk of diseases.
One of the most common diseases linked to the consumption of junk food is Diabetes.
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the body doesnt produce enough insulin or doesnt
produce any insulin at all causing sugars in the blood to build up. There are three known types of
diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational which occurs during pregnancy. I knew that I had
diabetes because I felt funny and I noticed that I would have to use the bathroom a lot, about
three times a night. Byron Jackson. Diabetes is mainly caused by poor dieting habits, like eating
junk food. Some symptoms of Diabetes are frequent urination, slow to heal sores and bruises,
excessive thirst or hunger, maybe even a little weight loss and more.

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Another common disease linked to the excessive consumption of Junk Food is High
Blood Pressure. High Blood Pressure is when blood flows at higher than normal pressures
through the arteries. A few signs of High Blood Pressure may include Chronic Kidney Disease
which is when the kidneys blood vessels shrink and cause the kidney to fail and Eye Damage
which is the bleeding or bursting of the vessels in the eye and maybe even blindness.

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Obesity is a common disease and risk of excessive junk food consumption. This graph
explains the Obesity rates among American Adults and Youth years 2005-2014. In 2007-2012,
the rates between the youth showed not too much of a difference. However, the 2011-2014
prevalence of Obesity was just over 36% of adults and 17% in youth.(Prevalence of Obesity
Among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011-2014) There is a little difference between the
prevalence Obesity rate of the Adults and the Youth.
A higher tax on Junk Food could bring awareness to those common diseases like Obesity.
Obesity occurs when a person consumes an excessive amount of unhealthy food or has poor
dieting habits. Obesity is excess fat on the body. Obesity is one of the diseases that people are
aware of, but dont realize just how important it is. People with Obesity are often overlooked and

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excluded by society, it affects the social life of them. In society a person with Obesity may be
teased and feel that they arent perfect just because they dont look like the people that surround
them, they may even become depressed because of it. A person who doesnt have to deal with
Obesity may not understand what a person who is Obese has to deal with, yet they are quick to
tease. It important that others are aware of what they have to go through, it is important that they
understand. There is no such thing as perfect and sometimes there are things that are just out of a
persons control.
Not only is Obesity one of the diseases caused by poor dieting habits, it can also lead to
other diseases caused by poor dieting habits. When fast foods frequently replace nutritious
foods in your diet, it can lead to poor nutrition, poor health, and weight gain. Some people
arent aware that Obesity can also lead to many other diseases or they just dont think that it
could happen to them. Knowing that Obesity can also lead to those other diseases associated with
poor dieting habits, maybe people will realize just how important it is to have a better dieting
habit.
Some of the risks that are associated with Obesity are Osteoarthritis, Stroke, etc.
Osteoarthritis is when the joint cartilage breaks down and causes pain when moving joints.
Another risk associated with Obesity is a Stroke which is when the blood flowing to a part of the
brain is cut off. A Stroke is also known as a Brain Attack Those are only two of the many risks
associated with Obesity, think of what the other risks may be and how dangerous they are. Taxes
on unhealthy food could bring awareness to Obesity and many risks associated with it and lessen
the risks of them.
Junk Food should also be taxed because it could lessen consumption due to the higher
prices. Putting a higher tax on something will make people reconsider buying the product. 10

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percent tax would reduce consumption of soda by 8 to 10 percent.(de Schutters report) If soda,
other sugary drinks, and other unhealthy food cost more then no one would buy as much of it
anymore. Healthy and its high prices make people not want to buy it, causing them to turn to the
lower priced unhealthy foods and be at a greater risk of diseases and consequences associated
with the consumption of unhealthy food.
Healthy food prices cause poor dieting habits. Mayuree Rao says that People often say
that healthier foods are more expensive and that such costs strongly limit better dieting habits.
This goes to show that healthy food prices are too expensive and that dieting habits would be
better if prices were not so high. Even though the healthy food is whats best for us, it isnt
something that necessarily everyone can afford to keep buying in order to maintain the right
dieting habit. All around there are fast food restaurants with drive-thrus, meanwhile there arent
any drive-thrus at any supermarkets. Something else all around us is advertisements about the
many different restaurants and the newest fast foods, but there are rarely any advertisements
showing off things that are good for us. Junk food is taking over and these low prices arent
making things better for us.
Not only are the prices of junk food lower, but you also get more for such a small cost
than what you would get for a more expensive cost. For example, in a store, a water may cost
about $1.99 while a large sugary drink costs a good deal of 99 cents. 99 cents seems like a pretty
good deal for a large drink rather than spending $1.99 on a smaller drink that is just about
everywhere and can be fixed at home. People buy the 99 cents drink more than the water because
the deal is just right, they see a worth for the 99 cents that they spent. If high prices on the things
that are better for us can make people reconsider buying it, it could possibly do the same for Junk
food.

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Many other sources, however argue that there shouldnt be a tax on Junk Food. Some
people believe that Junk food taxes wont prevent Obesity. Taxes and bans and restrictions dont
change the behaviors that lead to obesity.William Dermody. Even though the taxes would be
higher, some people believe that just taxing them wont be enough to stop people from poor
dieting habits. Some people could afford to continue on with poor dieting habits and even if they
couldnt exactly afford to continue on with poor dieting habits, they would still purchase junk
food with or without other items too. People are always going to eat what they want to eat no
matter what. People will accept poor dieting habits because they eat the things that make them
happy, they dont want to spend their lives eating healthy.
Malik Walker argues that Healthy Food has to be grown, meanwhile, Junk Food is
always easy to get.. It takes a while to grow organic foods, but junk food, however, is always
ready to purchase. You dont have to wait for Junk Food to grow, its everywhere and easy to
replace whenever you run out of it. It makes sense that the price is higher for the most valuable
product, the one that you have to take time growing and wait for, instead of the one that is
processed and manufactured.
People arent forced to eat and purchase Junk Food, its something that they decide to do
themselves. The amount of junk food that a person consumes is completely their decision. A
person could either choose to eat healthy and not so much junk food or eat junk food, but not eat
so healthy. If a person becomes Obese or faces the risks of poor dieting habits then they have no
one to blame, but themselves. Again, no one forces them to do anything that they dont want to
do. Maybe the person just doesnt care about the risks at all even though they are completely
aware of them.

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All in all, some people may believe that a tax on Junk food is no good, but it could
lessen diseases because of higher prices and bring awareness to diseases caused by poor dieting
habits as well. It doesnt seem right that prices on the things best for us are so high while the
things bad for us cost so little, things should be the other way around. A tax on unhealthy foods
could cause people not to buy it and people will not really eat as much of it anymore and that
could lead to a smaller risk of diseases and other consequences that may come from it. Not only
will this tax lessen consumption and risks of consequences, but it could also bring awareness to
those consequences. Healthy food is consumed a little less than junk food because of it is more
expensive, so a higher tax on Junk Food could do the same.

Works Cited
Blanding, Michael. "Should We Tax Unhealthy Foods?" Tufts Now. 27 Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Mar.
2016.
"Description of High Blood Pressure." - NHLBI, NIH. National Institutes of Health, 10 Sept.
2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
"Diabetes Symptoms." American Diabetes Association. 01 June 2015. Web. 22 Mar. 2016.
"Eating Healthy vs. Unhealthy Diet Costs about $1.50 More per Day." News. 06 Dec. 2013. Web.
22 Mar. 2016.
Person, and Steven E. Nissen. "The Food Pyramid Scheme." WSJ. 28 Jan. 2016. Web. 19 Apr.
2016.

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Pietrangelo, Ann, and Elea Carey. "13 Effects of Fast Food on the Body." Healthline. Healthline,
2 Nov. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.
"Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults and Youth: United States, 20112014." Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 Oct.
2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.
Sanger-katz, Margot. "Yes, Soda Taxes Seem to Cut Soda Drinking." The New York Times. The
New York Times, 12 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.
Satran, Joe. "Junk Food Taxes Gain Advocate In United Nations." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 12 Mar. 2012. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.