In some countries an increasing number of people are suffering from health problems as a result of eating too much fast food. It is, therefore, necessary for governments to impose a higher tax on this kind of food. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Nowadays, more and more people are affected by

health

issues

such

as diabetes and heart disease which are linked to over-consumption of cheap, mass-produced

food

. Some people believe the only solution is to make fast

food

less affordable by taxing it highly. Despite the severity of the problem, I think

this

is quite wrong. Increasing the tax on fast

food

would unfairly penalise people and may not necessarily bring about the desired

health

benefits.

First

, fast

food

is about more than just nutrition. Many teenagers spend money on fast

food

not because they need to eat out, but because

this

is how they socialise. Fast-

food

restaurants provide a safe, convenient place for young people to meet friends. For another group, low-income families, fast

food

can provide an inexpensive treat for their children. Denying people a small pleasure in life could affect their social lives or happiness. Another important point is that if the reason for taxing fast

food

is to reduce obesity, it may be ineffective. It is true that fast

food

is high in sugar, salt and fat, all of which cause weight gain and are detrimental to our

health

.

However

, we

also

know that there are other factors which contribute to the risk of obesity,

such

as lack of exercise and inappropriate portion size. While home-cooked

food

is generally healthy,

this

is not always the case. I personally know a family that used to eat high fat, home-cooked

food

in enormous portions. They all suffered from

health

problems due to obesity.

On the other hand

, I do understand the point of view of those who say drastic action Is needed. If fast

food

were taxed and became expensive, people would be forced to seek out healthier options.

In addition

,

food

producers would have an incentive to provide healthier foods.

However

, there is likely to be resistance from consumers and producers who want to have a wider choice. To conclude,

although

imposing a higher tax on fast

food

could have some positive effects, these would be outweighed by the drawbacks. For one thing, some sectors of society would feel victimised, and there is

also

the fact that simply raising taxes would not result in a much healthier society. What we really need is greater awareness of diet and cheaper healthy

food

.