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, due to bad eating habits, the number of people experiencing health issues is rising more than ever before. In my opinion, higher charges on fast

food

would only partially improve

this

situation. Analyzing the effects of these restrictions on lower-income groups will prove

this

. From an economic point of view, the higher expense might seem sensible.

For example

, populations in developed countries

such

as the USA, Australia and Britain are increasingly overweight, and the healthcare system spends a large part of its budget on people with diet-related health problems.

However

, most people who consume fast foods are aware of its health consequences.

Thus

, apart from deterring people from consuming junk meals, additional tax on

this

type of dietary products could help fund the healthcare system.

Nonetheless

, it

also

needs to be considered which socio-economic group consumes fast

food

as the main part of their diet. Statistics indicate that lower-income groups eat more of

this

food

than wealthier people.

For instance

, recent empirical research by the US government reported that many families simply cannot afford to buy healthy foodstuff or pay higher taxes on fast

food

.

This

is due to the fact that many governments offer large subsidies to farmers who provide products for the fast-

food

industry. Fruit and vegetables,

on the other hand

, are not subsidized.

Therefore

, increasing tax on fast

food

will have only a marginal effect on its consumption, as many people are consuming it because healthier alternatives are not conveniently available. To summarize,

although

imposing a higher tax on fast

food

could have certain economic benefits, it would have a negative impact on lower-income groups.

Therefore

,

this

idea cannot be fully supported as it would only lead to greater poverty and families facing

further

hardship.