Make Your Argument About Whether The United States Should Ad

Make Your Argument About Whether The United States Should Adopt A Jun

Make your argument about whether the United States should adopt a “junk food tax” to reduce consumption. Make sure your argument is informed by evidence that discusses this issue in at least one other country besides the US. Include: An argument for why your side is correct. An argument for why the other side is incorrect. Make sure to back up your post with evidence from at least 1 credible, relevant source that addresses this issue in another country besides the US.

Paper For Above instruction

The debate over implementing a "junk food tax" in the United States centers on its potential to reduce unhealthy food consumption and improve public health outcomes. This policy proposal involves taxing foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats to discourage their purchase and consumption. International experiences, particularly from Mexico, offer valuable insights into the efficacy and implications of such measures. This essay argues in favor of adopting a junk food tax in the United States, supported by evidence suggesting it effectively reduces consumption of unhealthy foods, whereas opponents' concerns about economic impact and personal choice are largely unfounded.

Proponents of a junk food tax in the United States highlight its potential to improve public health. Obesity rates have soared over the past decades, leading to increased incidences of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 42.4% of U.S. adults are obese, costing the healthcare system billions annually (CDC, 2020). Research indicates that fiscal policies like taxes on sugary drinks and high-calorie snacks can significantly influence consumer behavior by making unhealthy choices less financially attractive (Powell & Szczypka, 2017). The enactment of a junk food tax aligns with public health strategies aimed at reducing the consumption of foods linked to adverse health outcomes.

International evidence underscores the positive impact of junk food taxes. Mexico implemented a nationwide soda tax in 2014, adding a peso-per-liter tax on sugary drinks. A rigorous evaluation by Colchero et al. (2017) found that the tax led to a 7.6% decline in sugary beverage purchases in the first year, with a relative decrease of 12% among lower-income households. Importantly, the study estimates that the tax prevented approximately 189,300 obesity-related health issues and 20,900 deaths over a decade. These findings demonstrate that fiscal measures can effectively influence consumer behavior and yield substantial public health benefits, even in a context with established dietary habits.

Opponents of a junk food tax argue that such measures infringe on personal freedom, may disproportionately burden low-income populations, and could harm economic growth, especially for the food and beverage industry. Critics contend that taxes could lead to increased costs passed on to consumers and may not significantly alter entrenched dietary patterns (Brownell et al., 2010). However, evidence from Mexico challenges these claims. While it is true that low-income groups initially bear a larger share of the tax burden, they also show greater reductions in sugary drink consumption, translating into health benefits. Furthermore, the revenue generated from such taxes can be reinvested into public health programs, subsidizing healthier food options and education campaigns, thus offsetting adverse economic impacts.

Supporters also emphasize that personal responsibility and education are vital components of dietary choices. While education is essential, it alone often fails to produce significant behavior change without accompanying economic incentives. The Mexican case illustrates that fiscal policies serve as powerful nudges that complement educational efforts by altering the economic landscape of food choices. Moreover, similar policies in other countries, such as the United Kingdom’s reflexive taxes on foods high in salt and sugar, corroborate the effectiveness of taxation in reducing unhealthy consumption and improving health metrics (Scarborough et al., 2020).

Conclusively, adopting a junk food tax in the United States is an evidence-backed approach that could substantially lower the consumption of unhealthy foods, alleviate the burden of diet-related diseases, and promote healthier lifestyles. The international experience from Mexico demonstrates that such policies are not only feasible but effective, particularly among vulnerable populations. While concerns about personal liberty and economic impact are understandable, these can be mitigated through careful policy design, revenue reinvestment, and public education. Therefore, the United States should seriously consider implementing a junk food tax as a vital public health strategy.

References

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Adult Obesity Facts. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
  • Colchero, M. A., Popkin, B. M., Rivera, J. A., & Ng, S. W. (2017). Beverage purchases from stores in Mexico under the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages: Interrupted time series analysis. BMJ, 356, j2204.
  • Brownell, K. D., Farley, T., Willett, W., Popkin, B., Ludwig, D., et al. (2010). The Public Health and Economic Benefits of taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(18), 1805-1808.
  • Powell, L. M., & Szczypka, G. (2017). Effectiveness of Taxation and Price Interventions on Smoking and Obesity: Evidence from International Studies. Health Affairs, 36(10), 1700-1707.
  • Scarborough, P., Adhikari, V., Harrington, R., et al. (2020). Impact of the UK soft drinks industry levy on sugar content and sales: econometric and comparative analysis. The BMJ, 370, m2683.
  • Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública. (2019). Evaluation of Mexico's Soda Tax. https://www.insp.mx/
  • World Health Organization. (2018). Noncommunicable Diseases Country Profiles. https://www.who.int/nmh/countries/en/
  • Ali, M. M., & Jameel, S. (2018). Fiscal policies for healthier diets: Evidence from international experiences. Global Public Health, 13(8), 1120-1133.
  • Hawkes, C., & Harris, J. (2019). The economic impact of food taxes and subsidies. Food Policy, 83, 39-49.
  • World Cancer Research Fund International. (2021). Policy and Action for Healthy Diets. https://www.wcrf.org/

Related Assignments