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What is a Fat Tax?

Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster
Niki Foster

A fat tax is a type of "vice tax" placed on foods high in empty calories in an attempt to encourage healthy eating habits. The revenues generated from the tax could be used to fund nutrition and anti-obesity programs and to subsidize the production of healthier foods. The fat tax was first suggested in the 1980s by Dr. Kelly D. Brownell, the director of The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale. The World Health Organization published a report advocating the fat tax in 2003.

The theory behind the fat tax is that the prices of foods have an effect on what people eat; much "junk food," from fast food chains to processed, packaged chips and snack cakes, is significantly cheaper than healthier alternatives. Therefore, making junk food expensive may make people less likely to buy it, especially if the fat tax is used to subsidize healthier foods and make them cheaper to the consumer. Similar "vice taxes" have been used to limit the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The tax on tobacco can provide a useful model for the fat tax, as revenues are used to fund anti-tobacco advertisements and programs.

Fast food may be subject to a fat tax.
Fast food may be subject to a fat tax.

Opponents of the fat tax complain that it would allow the government to interfere too much in the personal choices of its citizens. There is also concern over how decisions would be made regarding which foods count as "healthy" or "unhealthy;" the fat tax is not as simple as taxing everything containing tobacco, for instance. Opponents are also wary of the additional bureaucracy that a fat tax may require.

Eating too much food -- especially junk food -- can cause obesity. These foods may be taxed to encourage people to eat healthier.
Eating too much food -- especially junk food -- can cause obesity. These foods may be taxed to encourage people to eat healthier.

Despite these concerns, many feel that the fat tax is among the most promising suggestions to deal with obesity, which has become a major public health concern in recent decades. The similar taxes on tobacco and alcohol have been successful. Proponents of the fat tax claim that the focus is on promoting a healthy diet and lifestyle, rather than on simply restricting what people consume.

Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a WiseGEEK editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Learn more...
Niki Foster
Niki Foster

In addition to her role as a WiseGEEK editor, Niki enjoys educating herself about interesting and unusual topics in order to get ideas for her own articles. She is a graduate of UCLA, where she majored in Linguistics and Anthropology.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon51263

The fat tax would be regressive. Unhealthy foods would increase in price, while healthy foods would see a decrease. You all need to get your panties out of a bundle and understand both sides of an argument. Besides, your Big Mac and Mickey D's will still be there in the end. You might just have to hold back on supersizing your whole meal.

anon40881

Why don't they just make healthy foods cheap instead of 4.00 for 3 pounds of apples? People eat like crap because it's what they can afford.

anon39310

fat tax is just like tobacco and alcohol tax --- the poorer you are, the more likely that "fat" foods are what you can afford. Just like the man uses his child's food money to buy alcohol and tobacco, now the food that child has will be less and less because some of some idiotic control freaks wanting to tell us what to eat, when to eat, how to eat. The junk food may cost more but it will be bought anyway, thus leaving less money for vegs and fruits. Our country has lost its mind!

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    • Fast food may be subject to a fat tax.
      By: Andrey Armyagov
      Fast food may be subject to a fat tax.
    • Eating too much food -- especially junk food -- can cause obesity. These foods may be taxed to encourage people to eat healthier.
      By: Justaman
      Eating too much food -- especially junk food -- can cause obesity. These foods may be taxed to encourage people to eat healthier.
    • A fat tax is placed on tobacco products to prevent or reduce the consumption of it.
      By: Klaus Eppele
      A fat tax is placed on tobacco products to prevent or reduce the consumption of it.