Implementation Of Sugar Fat Tax In The United States Of America

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Implementation of Sugar/Fat tax in the United States of America

Introduction

Attempts by the government to eradicate obesity and tooth decay in the United States has

brought about the introduction of the tax on sugary soft drinks. The former Chancellor George

Osborne two years ago introduced the sugar tax in the releasing of his budget statement in the

year 2016. The drinks companies will be levied a new tax to face taxation charges in accordance

with how much sugar is in their beverages (Falbe et al. 1865-1871). Two classes of taxation are

bound to be realized. One is in relation drinks total sugar content that tends to contain more than

5g per 100ml, while a higher tax is levied on drinks known to contain at least 8g/100ml. This text

is a critical analysis of the implementation plan of the United States of America’s sugar tax.

Other countries are known to have undertaken measures that are similar and have been

seen to be successful in ensuring that the rate of drinking fizzy has declined in as far as the sugar

content in drinks is concerned (Schwendicke, and Stolpe 17). Mexico is known to have brought

into an existence a 10% tax in 2014 targeting drinks that are known to be sugary in which, led to

a decline to the tune of 12% of the rate of sugary drinks in its first year if implementation. The

accrued tax has since been opposed on account that it targets of extorting money from the poor

because they will feel the biggest impact of the taxation system. Health campaigners are yet to be

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satisfied and have proposed an extension of the framework that is used in targeting reduction of

tax rate of sugary drinks by including chocolate, sweets, and confectionaries that often have huge

sugar contents.

Majority of Americans have been on record endorsing the move to impose the tax on

sugary drinks to raise funds for children’s health programs, and preschool claims a recent poll

that was conducted in California. The results reveal higher levels of support than in national polls

that have been conducted in the recent past, which have revealed that majority of Americans are

opposed to taxing sodas, although their popularity has grown in recent past as official at the local

levels strive to get an amicable way deemed fit to mobilize resources. Research has previously

been used to gauge the support of the public for this taxation without necessarily relating this

kind of taxation to the aimed goal of raising funds for preschool education. About 57% of

respondents interviewed are in support of taxing soda and other sugary drinks that is aimed at

mobilizing resources to fund for poverty alleviation, funding preschool and other healthcare

programs such as reducing obesity, while on the other hand, 39 percent are opposed to the idea.

Americans are seen to be sharply fragmented in terms of their opinions on a number of sensitive

policies relating to food, including the question as to whether to do away with the drinks that are

sugary in nature and also sugary foods and whether it should be a requirement for restaurants to

indicate the counts of calories on their menus (Falbe et al. 1865-1871).

Effects of Excessive Sugar Intake

Taking huge quantities of sugar content may cause serious and aggravated health issues. Sugary

beverage intake is highly associated with an abnormal increase in weight and obesity

(Schwendicke, and Stolpe 17). Women drinking one or more sugary beverages on a daily basis

are exposed the risk of getting diabetic condition twice compared to those who take one or less

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sugary beverage in a day. The risk of a child to getting obese rises by up to 60% as a result of

every sugary drink that is taken in a single day. With regards to children who often take

carbonated drinks, their risk of developing problems with their dental cavities increases.

Pros and Cons of Sugar Content Tax Imposition

Imposition of taxes on sugar has brought with it various pros and cons, as are about to be

discussed in this text. Taxes on sweetened drinks are accounted based on the volume of the

drink, which means that both high and low sugar drinks are subjected to a similar framework of

taxation. But soft drinks differ greatly in their sugar content from other forms of drinks. While in

some drinks only less than 2 teaspoons sugar content is added in every eight serving of ounce

others contain about 7 teaspoons of sugar. Experts in public health have opined that imposing the

tax on sugary drinks to discourage its consumption is often fruitless. If only taxes were focused

on most sugary-drinks there the level of sugar consumption would reduce with the advancements

of the levels of taxation (Falbe et al. 1865-1871). Notably, the framework and agencies of the

federal government have both the capability and authority to impose taxes on all soft drinks that

are sugary to the detriment of the American people. (Schwendicke, and Stolpe 17). The federal

government has in the past imposed tax on spirits on account of the content of alcohol and has

gained experience in taxing different products with different rates of taxation such as spirits and

wines. The approach that is used in taxing alcohol products should, therefore, be imposed on

sugary products.

The cost of reducing sugar in soft drinks may be minimized by taxes based on sugar content.

The cost of raising revenue by taxing sweetened beverages, rather than just sugar-sweetened

beverages (SSBs) is minimized by taxation of sweetened beverages. With the taxation of soft

drinks becoming more common, it would be prompt for individual jurisdictions to find that

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indeed the easiest way out is the adoption of the same design that is akin to the neighboring

jurisdictions (Falbe et al 1865-1871). Such coordination will go a long way to reduce the

administrative burden on both governments and businesses.

Apart from just sugar in drinks, there is also yet another debate as to whether the United

States should adopt a fat tax. Two thirds of American adults are obese and if the predictions by

the Centre for Disease Control is anything to go by, almost half of American adults will be obese

by the time its 2030 (Schwendicke, and Stolpe 17). In the last thirty years, obesity rates in

children have tripled to an extent where the arteries of an obese child are as thick as those of a

health 45-year old. Such children are susceptible to stroke, heart disease and diabetes at a tender

age.

It is an open secret that Americans have high affinity for junk food (Mela 80). This addiction

is set to continue as American industries purpose to come up with new and more ways to keep

Americans addicted to food that is rather convenient and pocket-friendly to acquire. Diet is not

only the factor driving the problem of obesity in America but eating food that contains all the

nutrients necessary to qualify a balanced diet is the surest way of preventing the occurrence of

obesity amongst American citizens.

Effects of Excess Fat Intake

When there is excess consumption of fat, the caloric intake levels are raised and this leads

to the introduction of elements that are rather detrimental and are a threat to life and longevity.

Eating foods that are of high fat content indicates deficiency of minerals, vitamins as well as

fiber that are very essential for digestion. (Mela 80). The consumption of calories to the tune of

high levels of between 20-35% can result in increased weight, obesity and other chronic and

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incurable diseases. Uncontrolled fat intake has effects on the body organs that include potentially

fatal complications. Saturated fat consumption has grave effects on blood cholesterol and arterial

health and this can lead to untimely damage to the heart, brain or the kidney. A rise in blood

cholesterol can lead to arterial bleeding and damage can occur that encourages the buildup of

plaque on artery walls which are contributed to by saturated and fat, this consequently causes the

narrowing of blood flow space, and could potentially cause blockage of blood vessels. The

resultant effects are heart attack, stroke or kidney failure (Schwendicke, and Stolpe 17).

Impact of Tax Imposition

There has been a 21% decrease in consumption of SSBs and a 4% increment comparison to

other cities. The consumption of water, on the other hand, has seen a 63% increase in

comparison to other cities. If the SSB taxes of other cities were to be evaluated, results would

reveal improved understanding of their public health and benefit their generalizability (Mela 80).

Reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption has become now become a serious

public health priority due to the strong evidence that SSBs increase risk of obesity, diabetes,

heart disease, and dental caries.

The implementation of 20% SSB has done great favor to the younger age groups as well as

low income earners by reducing their energy consumption. The mean BMI in younger groups

has been decreased by taxation, especially for those who are falling in the age category of 20–29

years. In addition, there seems to be quite minimal effects in groups 60 years or above (Mela 80).

There have since been reduced cases of fresh obesity cases in most of the states in the United

States of America.

Conclusion

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As a matter of conclusion, it goes without saying that implementation of sugar and fat taxes

in the United States is a justified cause. It is common knowledge that obesity has time and again

deprived the country able men and women that could otherwise participate in nation-building. If

this is what it takes to alleviate obesity, then no one should stand in the way of the US

government's efforts to impose taxes on sugars and fats.

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Works Cited

Falbe, Jennifer et al. "Impact Of The Berkeley Excise Tax On Sugar-Sweetened Beverage

Consumption". American Journal Of Public Health, vol 106, no. 10, 2016, pp. 1865-

1871. American Public Health Association, doi:10.2105/ajph.2016.303362. Accessed 25 Apr

2018.

Mela, David J. Food, Diet, And Obesity. CRC Press, 2005.

Schwendicke, Falk, and Michael Stolpe. "Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Impact On

Overweight And Obesity In Germany". BMC Public Health, vol 17, no. 1, 2017. Springer

Nature, doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3938-4. Accessed 25 Apr 2018.

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Implementation of Sugar Fat tax in the United States of America

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