Researchers: How About A Per Calorie Tax To Curb Obesity

June 28, 2013 by Sam Rolley

New research on obesity will likely be music to the ears of progressive bureaucratic busybodies who favor high taxes and controlling every aspect of citizens’ lives: Scientists at the National Bureau of Economic Research say the answer to America’s growing obesity problem is a policy of jacking up food prices with higher taxes.



In their study, the researchers contend that making Americans pay a sort of per calorie tax on the foods they purchase would encourage national weight loss. They said that a 10 percent hike in the cost of a calorie could lower the percentage of body fat in youths about 8 percent or 9 percent.

“An increase in the price of a calorie regardless of its source would improve obesity outcomes,” according to the nonprofit’s research.

The report strengthens the arguments of people who say that increasing prices on fast food would help with obesity.

“A calorie tax would get you the biggest bang for the buck,” Abigail Okrent, a researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said of the research. “It’s the most direct way of taxing obesity.”
The idea of a calorie tax, however, would likely not be a hit with the public. The Washington Post, which initially hyped the obesity tax, polled its readers on the issue, finding a majority opposed to the suggestion.

Credit: THE WASHINGTON POST

http://personalliberty.com/2013/06/2...-curb-obesity/