I participated in a Model United Nation's conference organised by my school yesterday and the day before. It was very enriching, and when the topic of reducing the number of Non Communicable Diseases came up, I was the first to say that we should introduce the idea of a Fat Tax. Everybody broke down in laughter. Because they were under the misconception that fat tax is placing a tax on fatty people.
That is why in this post I will talk about Fat Tax, and why we should implement it.
No offence. But seriously, the obesity rate is too high. And therefore fat tax should be put in place. It will discourage people from buying foods with an excess of saturated fats, salt and what not. It is a bureaucratic nightmare though, and puts jobs at risk. Furthermore, if one taxes foods that have too much saturated fats like butter, then consumers will increase their salt intake, and this may have devastating effects. Therefore when introducing this tax, it must be done with a whole lot in mind and constant surveillance must be done to ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved.
Denmark introduced the fat tax in 2011, however in just a year the law was abolished This was because the fat tax failed to change people's eating habits.
I still have high hopes for the fat tax. It is an effective mean to reduce consumption of unhealthier more expensive) foods and people will resort to an healthier diet.
What do you think? Is the fat tax an effective way of reducing obesity rates? If not, what are some other ways? Comment below.
Signing off,
Just another Singaporean.
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