A Campaign for a Healthier America

You're probably asking yourself, why would I support a campaign that makes my food even more expensive? The simple but rich answer to this question is that the health of our nation and the obesity of our nation is costing us even more then a simple federal tax on junk food would cost. We are paying immense amounts of money on hospital bills, medications, and welfare, due in part to the obesity of our country. According to the article The Facts on Junk Food Marketing and Kids, 

"By 2030, healthcare costs attributable to poor diet and inactivity could range from $860 billion to $956 billion, which would account for 15.8 to 17.6 percent of total healthcare costs, or one in every six dollars spent on healthcare."

The more obese our country is, the more cases of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, ect. that we must pay for out of pocket because obesity causes death. Plain and simple, tested and true. We have tried many outlets to improve health in our country, and they have made minuscule differences. Promoting healthier foods and exercising can only go so far, and if these tactics were successful, we would have seen obesity rates fall. These tactics should still be implemented, but the issue is that we need to do more. Adding a federal tax on junk food and fast food is a huge step in consumerism. Yes, people will complain about junk food being more expensive and children will cry when their mom doesn't buy the Mac and Cheese they want for lunch, but the benefits of this tax are far more vital to our nation then a couple of upset individuals.

To tie in all the ideas mentioned on this blog, America is obese. Our country is overwhelmed with junk food and fast food that is easier to purchase and more readily available then healthy foods. These companies that manufacture such life-threatening foods are targeting their advertisements towards our youth because they are the most gullible and most susceptible. When a child sees a fun commercial on TV for a cereal loaded with sugar, they go grocery shopping with their mom, they see that cereal, and beg her to buy it for them. The child then has the cereal that is contributing to childhood obesity. This simple series of events is the core reason why not only our children are more obese, but why our entire country is relying on junk food and fast food to be a budget-friendly way to eat a large meal. Solution? Junk food tax. Make the most unhealthy foods more expensive then the healthy foods. Americans will naturally buy the product that costs less money, and in turn, will be healthier, live longer, and live free of diseases caused by obesity. That is the goal for our country, and although it is a few years away, we must start making changes now. We must make these dramatic changes because our country is in need of a great deal of help and the longer we wait, the fatter we get.

Resources:
The facts on junk food marketing and kids.Prevention Institute , Retrieved from http://www.preventioninstitute.org/focus-areas/supporting-healthy-food-a-activity/supporting-healthy-food-and-activity-environments-advocacy/get-involved-were-not-buying-it/735-were-not-buying-it-the-facts-on-junk-food-marketing-and-kids.html