A New Tax: The Calorie Tax

[CG6468]

How to curb obesity: Tax calories, study says

By Peter Whoriskey, Published: June 26 E-mail the writer
There may be an economic cure for the nation’s obesity: Hike the price of food.

Raising the price of a calorie for home consumption by 10 percent might lower the percentage of body fat in youths about 8 or 9 percent, according to new research from the National Bureau of Economic Research.

“An increase in the price of a calorie regardless of its source would improve obesity outcomes,” according to a working paper that three researchers prepared for the private, nonprofit bureau.

As the nation confronts an epidemic of flab, many experts have pointed a finger at low food prices as a cause, leading to proposals for taxes on sugary drinks, fast-food and junk food, as well as reductions in government farm subsidies.

The new research, which focused on youths, reinforces the idea that prices affect obesity and that raising fast-food prices would help, although pushing up the prices of healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, might hurt.

To conduct the study, researchers used measures of body fat from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the prices of 21 grocery items, including a pound of Jimmy Dean sausage, a 24-ounce loaf of white bread and a two-liter bottle of Coke.

They also looked at prices for three fast-food items: a Quarter Pounder with cheese from McDonald’s, a thin-crusted cheese pizza from Pizza Hut or Pizza Inn, and fried chicken from KFC or Church’s.

More taxes on ALL food

[marv]

Absurd! Not everybody that eats lots of calories is fat. Why not just tax fat people.......

[Freeper]

Everyone laughed at me when they came for tobacco and I said  that big macs would be next.

[longview]

Does anyone believe this is about health?  I don't. 

[CG6468]

Does anyone believe this is about health?  I don't. 

It's about more money for government. 100%.