Yale University researchers have weighed in with their opinions on how to change the eating patterns of Americans: impose a “fat tax” on certain foods.
The researchers charge that America is afflicted with an “out of control epidemic of obesity and other diseases related to diet, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.” They blame the “toxic food environment” which produces a “diet that is high in fat, high in calories, delicious, widely available and low in cost.”
Their proposed solution is to place a tax on foods high in fat and cholesterol and conversely subsidize the cost of fruits and vegetables.
In an interview with The Washington Times, Kelly Brownell, director of the study, said people cannot be held responsible for gaining weight because they are “being blitzed with messages to eat more.” He also said, “Junk-food advertisements should be regulated, and excise taxes imposed on high-fat foods, just as they are on tobacco and alcohol.”
The Yale study recommends that the money collected from the tax be used to fund nutritional education and public exercise programs.
Consumer Freedom reminds readers that the first time we reported on a proposal for a special tax for certain foods, it was suggested by a fringe animal “rights” activist group. Now the idea has worked its way up to one of the most prestigious universities in the country.
