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?

The growth of the fast

food

industry has, without doubt, impacted the eating habits and the health of many societies around the world. Diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart and respiratory problems are all on the rise due to fatty and sugar-rich meals.

However

, the question is whether a higher

tax

would improve

this

situation or not. From an economic point of view, the higher

tax

might seem sensible. In countries

such

as the USA, Australia and Britain, the healthcare system spends a large part of its budget on people with diet-related health problems. It could be argued that these people have caused their own illnesses because of their choice of cooking. In

this

case, why should they expect the state to pay for their treatment? The

tax

could help fund the healthcare system.

However

, we

also

need to consider 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. One possible reason for

this

is that fast

food

is far cheaper than fresh produce.

This

is because many governments offer large subsidies to farmers who provide products for the fast

food

industry,

such

as corn, wheat and beef. Fruit and vegetables,

on the other hand

, are not subsidised. Research suggests that many families simply cannot afford to buy a healthy drink or pay higher taxes on a fast meal. For them, fast

food

is not a choice but a necessity. In conclusion, imposing a higher

tax

on fast

food

does not seem to be the answer. If the government chose to do

this

, it would only lead to greater poverty and families facing

further

hardship.