Fat Tax Urged in 'War on Obesity'
The idea of a "fat tax" on high-fat foods is gaining ground.
(Yes, that's *fat* tax, not flat tax.)
"Obesity: The Public Health Crisis" was the name of a conference held in
Washington DC September 14-15 by the American Obesity Association. Obesity
was described as a "ticking time bomb in the health care system." One
solution proposed by some of the assembled experts was the "fat tax" - a
tax on high-fat foods, similar to already-existing taxes on cigarettes and
alcohol. The tax would discourage the purchase of such foods, and fund
various programs to help the food-addicted.
Other Big Mother proposals from the convention: lengthening the school day
to give kids more exercise; a massive increase in tax-funded research on
obesity (the National Institutes of Health currently spends a mere $103
million annually); and expanded insurance for weight loss treatments.
Among the attendees was Judith S. Stern, vice president of the American
Obesity Association, who described obesity as "a national emergency;" and
the U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, who declared: "Obesity is a major
public health problem in this country and one that deserves much more
attention than it receives."
Yes, you can hear it coming. How long before our rulers simply outlaw fatty
foods outright? How long before the Federal Fat Police (FFP) begin
searching our cars for candy, invading our homes to halt the preparation of
cherry pie, and forcing mandatory random weighing tests to uncover fat
addicts? How long before the U.S. military is ordered to seal our borders
against smugglers of lard and coconut oil? How long before a fat-free
America - maintained at gunpoint -- becomes a national goal, lauded by
Democrats, Republicans, and Chambers of Commerce across the land?
Given America's experiences with alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes, we'd say…
oh, any day now.
(Sources: Reuters Sept. 15, 1999 / Knight Ridder Newspapers Sept. 16, 1999)
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