Fat Tax In Daniel Engber's Let Them Drink Water

Whenever it comes to the topic of obesity, there are many proposed solutions to combat the problem. One such solution that has become more popular is a “fat tax”. Now the problems that come with setting up such a tax is to define one’s terms. What factors should constitute the taxing that is associated with obesity? In Daniel Engber’s piece called “Let Them Drink Water!”, he talks about how taxing directly in a per pound overweight fashion isn’t really ideal. People aren’t really going to be too thrilled with paying an extortion fee to the government based on their bodily weight. But the current method of indirect taxing through soda taxes isn’t influencing people to lose weight. “The state-level penalties now in place have turned out to be way too small to make anyone lose weight, and efforts to pass more heavy-handed laws

With someone who is financially stable, they can handle the burden of a fat tax without an issue. Such a tax would “fall most directly on the poor, nonwhite people who tend to be the most avid consumers of soft drinks and the most sensitive to price”(Engber). Now it is true that it would impact the poor the heaviest. But it would be a heavily effective measure to reduce consumption of the soft drinks from them if it was to be taxed heavily. It does come to the question on if these products should be considered luxury goods. And if we categorized them as such, do we really have the moral ground to deny poorer people the right to enjoy small pleasures? But even when you weren’t doing well financially to begin with, consumption of unhealthy food and drinks isn’t the solution for a better life style. You can live healthy and on a budget as long as you don’t live in California or Staten Island. It boils down to the knowledge of how to live healthy. If you don’t know what diet to have or what to actually avoid in foods, it’s hard to stay