Taxation Of Junk Food: Should Junk Food Should Be Taxed? (Essay Sample)

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Importance of taxing sugary beverages/junk food
Introduction
The government of a state is responsible for initiating taxes on goods whether they are consumables or not. The taxation is a good source of income for a country. The government of the day determines what to tax and what not to tax. Despite being a source of income to a country, taxation may be used to discourage the consumption of certain goods especially when it is fixed at a high rate. For instance, the taxation of tampons may not be encouraged, but the consumption of a sugary food may be highly recommended. Goods defer with the intention in which they are used. A good taxation scheme as well should differ with the type of goods. This study evaluates why the taxation of sugary food is highly recommendable, and the consequent role this taxation will play in the consumption of such foods.
There has been increased consumption of the sugary food over the last years. The trend of consuming these goods is on the increase thus warranting a good policy to curb it. This is because there have been reported several cases of health risks that come as a result of consuming such foods and beverages. The junk food is a potential cause of diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic disorders. (Marron, Gearing & Iselin 1). The need to control these consumptions is unquestionable. The introduction of the high tax rate is a powerful way of limiting the consumption (Block and Willet 1). When junk food and sugary beverages are consumed, they have the tendency of bringing dangerous diseases. The increased taxation will mean that the consumption will be decline. This is because the tax increases the price of these commodities. Thus, their demand will decrease. The low demand means that people will have little attention to such goods. The purchase and consumption will consequently be limited. Taxation, therefore, is a good means of limiting the consumption of junk food and sugary beverages (Brownell and Frieden 1806). The failure to tax such foods will mean that the consumption will increase and people will be more prone to health risks. Most of these health conditions brought by the junk food have limited successful medications. For instance, the diabetes is a dangerous health disorder that is hardly treated especially if it has developed into the chronic stages. The taxation will ensure that only a few individuals get access to such foods since the highest population of people in many countries is made up of middle-income earners. This is an advisable strategy that will preserve the health conditions of individuals and ensure that the future generations will be secure.
The need to tax the sugary beverages and junk food could be attributed to the increasing consumption of such foods which happens to be dangerous to human’s health. In the US, its consumption has been increasing over time making it the main source of calories in the human body. The soft drinks in the US have been the major source of the calories over the last twenty-five years. The intake has been regular, and this has led to several health implications, like the increased weight and diabetes (Block et al. 1427). It is thus clear that the increasing consumption will lead to more health disorders. Many people will suffer health conditions, and this effect will be felt in the entire economy of the country and world at large. The affected people will fail to remain productive in their workplace, and thus the production of the economy will consequently reduce. All these challenges can be controlled by instituting a proper taxation scheme on such foods. The high taxing rate will ensure the pricing of these commodities is increased, and this will serve to lower their demand. People will less contract the associated health disorders hence the productivity of an economy will remain unaffected. It is clear that most of the consumers use commodities which are in demand. Everyone seeks to remain in fashion, and this means that they will consume what most people desire. However, the taxation of such goods will affect the pricing, and the demand will be lowered. Consequently, those people who consume as a result of the demand will be eliminated. It is indisputable that such people are the majority in the purchase. The extravagant class of people is always low across the economy.
The consumption of junk food and sugary beverages means that some of the nutritious food will be forgone thus supporting the wrong and unhealthy food when the right food remains unused. This has adverse effects on the companies producing the healthy food. The junk food companies will take over the market for consumables when such foods are taxed lowly or have the same level of taxation with over foods. The sugary beverages are mostly used because of their gravitating taste but not because of their nutritional value. When such food companies are allowed to take over the market, the country will suffer. This is because of their associated health conditions. According to the study conducted, children and young adults prefer these type of foods, and they are happy to consume them regularly (Veerman et al. 2). The consumption of junk food and sugary beverage by the young people is an indisputable way of ruining the prosperity of the future generation. This is because such people will develop the health disorders early and thus their working lifesp...