Draft 1
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How do you like your burger? When you’re ready to order, do you ask for no onions? Meat well done? Extra tomatoes? Well, here’s something for you to chew on: The possibility of having some extra tax on the side, and no – it’s not an option.
The goal of this proposed fat tax – or “Twinkie tax” –would be to raise awareness about eating healthier and the obesity epidemic that is currently seizing our nation. Because it is still a theory in discussion, it is not certain exactly how much the fat tax would tax on foods. Possibilities range from a large tax of 7 to 20 percent to a smaller tax anywhere from a penny to 1 percent. The income from any option, however, would go towards making healthier foods more available to the public than foods not as nutritional.
A fat tax, if put into action, would bring forth a lot of change: Even if a one cent tax were to be placed on every soft drink sold in the country, about $1.5 billion could be hauled in and used for introducing more healthy foods, health care reforms, and many other things. Some people, like junior Betty Jin, think that the tax could be used as an incentive: “Face it, if [we] don’t start doing something to lessen the fat consumption of our nation, what’s going to stop consumers from buying food that is more harmful to [our health] than we realize?”
But while the intent of the fat tax is to raise awareness and hopefully reverse the increasing amount of tight waistbands in America, it can also be labeled as a controversial or even useless proposal. “I think that whoever came up with this fat tax has good intentions, but I don’t think it will really get us anywhere,” says sophomore Josie Yang. “People already know the health factor of all this, but that hasn't stopped them.” In addition, money from past fat taxes had gone to covering things such as budget deficits instead of going towards funding for healthier and more easily accessible foods.
We know America is getting big – but what would we be willing to do to make it otherwise? If, say, a 7% fat tax were to be implemented, the Six Dollar Burger from Carl’s Jr. would be $7! Although it’s not squeaky clean, the fat tax is definitely something to be considered as Americans put on those pounds.
Twinkie Tax is Just Tough Love
The Total for Your Six Dollar Burger Will be $7. Ketchup?
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How do you like your burger? When you’re ready to order, do you ask for no onions? Meat well done? Extra tomatoes? Well, here’s something for you to chew on: The possibility of having some extra tax on the side, and no – it’s not an option.
The goal of this proposed fat tax – or “Twinkie tax” –would be to raise awareness about eating healthier and the obesity epidemic that is currently seizing our nation. Because it is still a theory in discussion, it is not certain exactly how much the fat tax would tax on foods. Possibilities range from a large tax of 7 to 20 percent to a smaller tax anywhere from a penny to 1 percent. The income from any option, however, would go towards making healthier foods more available to the public than foods not as nutritional.
A fat tax, if put into action, would bring forth a lot of change: Even if a one cent tax were to be placed on every soft drink sold in the country, about $1.5 billion could be hauled in and used for introducing more healthy foods, health care reforms, and many other things. Some people, like junior Betty Jin, think that the tax could be used as an incentive: “Face it, if [we] don’t start doing something to lessen the fat consumption of our nation, what’s going to stop consumers from buying food that is more harmful to [our health] than we realize?”
But while the intent of the fat tax is to raise awareness and hopefully reverse the increasing amount of tight waistbands in America, it can also be labeled as a controversial or even useless proposal. “I think that whoever came up with this fat tax has good intentions, but I don’t think it will really get us anywhere,” says sophomore Josie Yang. “People already know the health factor of all this, but that hasn't stopped them.” In addition, money from past fat taxes had gone to covering things such as budget deficits instead of going towards funding for healthier and more easily accessible foods.
We know America is getting big – but what would we be willing to do to make it otherwise? If, say, a 7% fat tax were to be implemented, the Six Dollar Burger from Carl’s Jr. would be $7! Although it’s not squeaky clean, the fat tax is definitely something to be considered as Americans put on those pounds.
Twinkie Tax is Just Tough Love
The Total for Your Six Dollar Burger Will be $7. Ketchup?