Do You Think They Should Put An Additonal Tax On Fast Food?

Do you? Do you think that putting an additional tax on fast food should be done? If so, why?

Also, do you think that putting an additional tax on fast food could potentially solve the growing problem of obesity in the United States?

I wouldn't have an issue with it. We already add additional taxes to other harmful and unnecessary products.

No. There is too much tax as it is.LJS9502_basic

Agreed

Just because it's fat food doesn't mean it's instantly deadly for you to eat it. If you exercise regularly and eat healthy most of the time, and you want a McDonald's meal, you shouldn't have to pay extra just because other people don't eat healthy.

Just because it's fat food doesn't mean it's instantly deadly for you to eat it. If you exercise regularly and eat healthy most of the time, and you want a McDonald's meal, you shouldn't have to pay extra just because other people don't eat healthy.

awesomejdude

No. There is too much tax as it is.LJS9502_basic

Agreed, but for very different reasons.

Haven't had fastfood in ages but the past two days i've had taco bell and burger king. Forgot how amazing they both are. Can't make a habit of it though. And no they shouldn't tax it further.

Yes.

Why?

More socialism please.. I feel bad for free market capitalsts.

I wouldn't have an issue with it. We already add additional taxes to other harmful and unnecessary products.

Dark_Knight6

Yeah, but why fast food?

Problem I have against this is it would target fast food restaurants as opposed to "real restaurants" even though the food at high end restaurants isn't actually any healthier.

And seeing as how fast food restaurants are more common among the poor (since they're less able to afford eating at higher end places), it'd basically be a tax that selectively targets the poor.

tax should not be used to tell people what to do... if i want to eat fast food every day that is none of your business.mfp16

That is irrelevant…the gov. does use taxes to influence behavior

1. sin taxes on alcohol and drugs

2. tax breaks for giving to charity, churches, etc.

3. states get money to folllow the "rules" (like speed limits)

Now if they should do that is open for debate

But it is a fact that th gov. uses taxes to influence behavior

No. There is too much tax as it is.LJS9502_basic

Problem I have against this is it would target fast food restaurants as opposed to "real restaurants" even though the food at high end restaurants isn't actually any healthier.

And seeing as how fast food restaurants are more common among the poor (since they're less able to afford eating at higher end places), it'd basically be a tax that selectively targets the poor.

MrGeezer

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]No. There is too much tax as it is.gotenks123321

Agreed

No I don't think that an extra tax should be levied against "unhealthy" foodstuffs anymore than I think that meat substitutes should be heavily taxed as their consumers tend to be pretty unsufferable. Everyone's metabolisms are unique and handle heavy rich foods very differently and what might affect one person quite dramatically won't adversely affect another. I also don't believe there is an obesity issue in the U.S. and that the concern about it is largely a manufactured one.

[QUOTE="mfp16"]tax should not be used to tell people what to do... if i want to eat fast food every day that is none of your business.rawsavon

That is irrelevant…the gov. does use taxes to influence behavior

1. sin taxes on alcohol and drugs

2. tax breaks for giving to charity, churches, etc.

3. states get money to folllow the "rules" (like speed limits)

Now if they should do that is open for debate

But it is a fact that th gov. uses taxes to influence behavior

I also don't believe there is an obesity issue in the U.S. and that the concern about it is largely a manufactured one.

Lord_Daemon

tax should not be used to tell people what to do... if i want to eat fast food every day that is none of your business.mfp16

That is irrelevant…the gov. does use taxes to influence behavior

1. sin taxes on alcohol and drugs

2. tax breaks for giving to charity, churches, etc.

3. states get money to folllow the "rules" (like speed limits)

Now if they should do that is open for debate

But it is a fact that th gov. uses taxes to influence behavior

First of all, our tax dollars are constantly misspent. How many times has congress dipped into the money of one program to pay for another?

Second, whenever you tax something, you change the behavior of people. If you have numbers like 'ten million people eat fast food a day! We will generate this $$$'. Once you pass the tax, you are not going to get your projection.

People will find some other replacement, probably buying cheap crap food in a supermarket. So then we'll have to tax junk food.

I don't know. Maybe i'm totally wrong. But I just don't see people changing their behavior because of a tax. I truly believe smoking is down in America due to education, not the increased taxes on it. The smokers I know, no matter how strapped for cash they are, always seem to have money for smokes...

Yes lets tax everything more - it is the only way to save us from ourselves

[QUOTE="Lord_Daemon"]

I also don't believe there is an obesity issue in the U.S. and that the concern about it is largely a manufactured one.

STAR_Admiral

Why yes I have, in fact I work in the public field at a particularly busy store and I help quite literally hundreds of people on a daily basis. Having done so for 20 years or so leads me to wonder where all these massive fields of fat people and their armies of fat children are hiding that are supposed to be overrunning the country. To be sure, I do believe that we probably consume more fatty foods than is normal and that we perhaps as a nation run a tad over a typical national average -- but obese? No I don't think so.

Nah, I don't think they should tax fast food. If the goal is to help solve the problem of obesity in America, it will never work. People need to become healthy by their own free will; if they become healthy just because they aren't able to access their favorite junky foods, the problem of obesity in America will never become truly solved. Also, I don't want to spend any more money on food in the future than I am now, so taxing would be a no in my eyes.

[QUOTE="LJS9502_basic"]No. There is too much tax as it is.EMOEVOLUTION

No. If they add tax to fast food they should add it to all food. People know the danger of over eating food like that. It is up to them to eat it in moderation.Big_Bad_Sad

then why not legalize drugs also?

no I don't think so unless they plan to make healthier foods cheaper at the same time. There are poor people who kinda need fast food places like McDonalds to be ok.

no I don't think so unless they plan to make healthier foods cheaper at the same time. There are poor people who kinda need fast food places like McDonalds to be ok.

Serraph105

No. It boils down to a fat tax, and not all fat people are so because of food; it's discriminatory and does not belong in the legal system.

No, if people can't control themselves, than too bad for them.

No there shouldn't be a fast food tax seriously. Living in NYC I get tax to death already. :cry:

No there shouldn't be a fast food tax seriously. Living in NYC I get tax to death already. :cry:

AngelNeo00

No there shouldn't be a fast food tax seriously. Living in NYC I get tax to death already. :cry:

Hell no. I'm a grown man and if I feel like hardening my arteries I have every right to. The government is not my mother.savebattery

HELL NO! Then I'd have to pay more....