Labeling And Taxing Of Unhealthy Foods

The quality and ingredients in our food has become a major topic of debate in recent years. As the rates of obesity, chronic disease, and the cost of health care continues to rise it is obvious that something needs to change. A starting point would be the update of current food labels, placing warning labels on unhealthy foods, and even taxing unhealthy foods. The University of Virginia recently conducted an experiment on the labeling and taxing of unhealthy foods. They placed warning labels on vending machine foods and added a tax to the foods that were deemed the unhealthiest. As a result the amount of unhealthy foods purchased from the vending machines fell and a significant amount of revenue was collected from the tax (Garson and Engelhard,

Macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat) are generally consumed in large quantities while micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are consumed in much smaller quantities. Macronutrients provide calories and energy while the micronutrients are vital to development, disease prevention, and well-being. The majority of the food that we eat today is highly processed and refined which strips our food of important micronutrients. The results of a nutritional assessment at the UFRGS School of Medicine confirmed this showing that “macronutrient intake was largely adequate, in view of the high calorie intake. However, some micronutrient deficiencies were present. Only 19.5% of patients had an adequate intake of potassium, 26.0% of calcium, and 66.2% of iron” (Horvath et al. 292). Obviously this shows the link between an unhealthy diet and nutritional deficiencies. Micronutrient deficiencies are important contributors to the increase in obesity and metabolic disorders. Vitamin E and Vitamin C deficiencies are associated with increased abdominal fat in obese individuals, Vitamin A helps to regulate body weight, Vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of thyroid disease and insulin resistance, and low levels of Zinc and Iron have been related to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. According to Garcia,

This type of diet combined with lack of exercise can lead to obesity. Obesity continues to be a leading health concern in the United States, the prevalence of obesity has increased in children and adults over the last several decades. From 2003-2004 the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey “analyzed the height and weight measurements of 3958 children and adolescents… and 4431 adults… and found that 17.1% of US children and adolescents were overweight and 32.2% of adults were obese” (Ogden et al. 149). Certainly this demonstrates that at the current rate, the obesity rates in adults and children will continue to climb over the coming decades unless some drastic changes are made. Obesity is a chronic disease that is replacing traditional health concerns as one of the most significant contributors to ill health. It is not just an individual problem, it is a population problem and it will require all parts of society to come together and develop a prevention strategy. The cause of obesity is not just the amount of calories that one is consuming but the type of calories and the amount of added fats and sugars in our food. Recent food related documentaries and books "all reinforce the same message: that America has what food industry critic and Omnivore's