Assignment

Food Police Yet another part of our lives the government wants to have a say in; taxing commoncommodities such as pizza and sodas only because a certain group of individuals believes it will cut down obesity and the healthcare expenditure does not seem like an intelligent move. Jonathan Berr (dailyfinance. com) in his article on the subject mentioned that taxing cigarettes only stalled consumption to a certain extent, when smoking has been linked to life-threatening malignancies, then how is taxing something that is a poor man’s food going to help can obesity? Controlling obesity is more about changing one’s lifestyle, incorporating healthy activities in daily routine. So maybe lawmakers need to consider making bicycles and gym memberships cheaper. Besides, it is a universal phenomenon that children are inclined to do what they’re told not to, and considering obesity is on the rise in children aged 2 to 19, it is really not a smart idea to tell them their favorite food items are expensive and therefore call for a rebellion. According to me, taxing pizzas and sodas is unfair to the consumers who are conscientious about their choice of toppings and who actually take time to pick out the lesser of the evils for personal benefit. Even the healthy eaters will bear the brunt of this legislature, if passed, leaving many unsettled consumers. If the government actually is this concerned about peoples well being then they should consider bringing down the prices of healthy commodities. This article very rightly also raises the question of what food items are considered “ healthy” and which ones aren’t and also who decides this. Chips are considered high-calorie, but then again you also have oven baked varieties. It all comes down to making a choice, which should be an individual’s own. References Berr, Jonathan. Daily Finance. ” First a Soda Tax, Now a Pizza Tax: The Food Police March on”. 3rd November, 2010. Web. 27th April, 2011.