The Worldwatch Institute warns of the dangers of rising obesity rates. Worldwatch blames obesity mostly on people’s lack of exercise, but puts a good deal of the blame on diets “rich in fat and sugar.” The Institute says that along with changing what we eat, we need to “redesign communities, making public transportation the centerpiece of urban transport, and augmenting it with sidewalks, jogging trails, and bikeways.”
How would we fund these programs? Worldwatch says bring on the fat tax: “Consumption of nutrient-poor foods could be further reduced using a tax on food based on the nutrient value per calorie, as advocated by Yale psychologist Kelly Brownell. Fatty and sugary foods low in nutrients and high in calories would be taxed the most, while fruits and vegetables might escape taxation entirely.”