Why Junk Food Should Be Taxed?

Who has not eaten junk food at least once? I did it, and to me, as to many Americans, the junk food is the most delicious type of food. However, I know it is the unhealthiest food and the main cause of obesity in the United States. On the other hand, the U.S. government feels that is important to intervene in junk food lover’s lives to help them to improve their health and their food choices. In order to combat the obesity and other health problems that junk food causes, the U.S. government has been looking for many ways to prevent and decrease the number of obese people in the country. They believe that adding taxes to the junk food is a great idea that might help people to eat healthy and will help to save people’s lives by changing their food choices. Also, the government will save money because less people will get sick. I agree that the government should definitely tax junk food for many reasons.

First, government should add taxes to the junk food because it would help discourage peoples’ consumption of unhealthy food and to reduce the number of obese people in the country. Many people would rather eat junk food because it is convenient, saves time, and it is cheaper than healthy food. By adding taxes on junk food, we can encourage people to eat healthy food because they will both cost the same price. For instance, every time that someone wants to eat junk food, that person will probably think about the cost and decide to prepare a delicious and healthy homemade food. Furthermore, there is evidence that taxes on cigarettes reduce the cigarette consumption. In addition, government must add taxes on junk food so that it would make people to make better decisions about their food choices and the obesity would decrease.

Second, the junk food should be taxed because it will help to reduce the costs of treating medical issues to which junk food contributes. It will reduce medical costs that obese people could have, and government can invest that money in other important things such as education or improve government programs like Medicare. If less people eat junk food, there will be fewer diseases and medical costs will decline. The government will save a lot money by adding taxes on junk food, but also will save many peoples’ lives which is more important and trough this policy the government will interfere in peoples’ food choices in a good way.

On the other hand, the opposition believes that is not fair that the government wants to interfere in their own food choices. The U.S. government by adding taxes on junk food wants to tell people what they have to eat and what they don’t have to. People must have the right and the freedom to decide what is good and healthy for them and what is not. Also, they affirm that adding taxes on junk food won’t help to combat health diseases and even the obesity on this country because people that love junk food will still buy it, no matter how much it will costs. In addition, some people think that the junk food is convenient for low income people because it saves them the time and money that they have and most of the time it’s not a treat for them, it is the only type of food that they can afford.

However, I think that they are completely wrong because junk food is cheap that is true, but it is unhealthy and it is killing and causing many health problems to the people that eat it. After certain time people that consume junk food will have to deal with the problems that eating this type of food cause and they will spend more money in medical expenses than the money that they will save buying it. To conclude, junk food is very convenient for some people however, it is a very unhealthy type of food that it is killing slowly too many people and increasing their chance to become obese and lead many health problems. People should have good eating habits in order to live healthy and for a longer time. I think that the government should definitely add taxes on junk food because it’s an excellent way to save lives and money, so that people can be aware of junk food dangerousness.