Applied Public Policy And Social Science Analysis: Fat Tax
Fat Tax: Beneficial to the reduction of obesity, or infringement on basic rights?
Meredith Johnson
Economics: An Applied Public Policy and Social Science Analysis
Todd Larsen
12/12/13
Introduction
Mirna “Minnie” Ortiz is a lot like most 16 year olds; she likes doing fun things like hanging out with her friends, watching television and planning for the future ahead of her (“One patient’s story”, par. 1). But unfortunately for Minnie, she is the only person her age that has Type 2 diabetes that she knows of. “On my first day of 6th grade, I was sitting on the couch at home and then out of nowhere I fell into a diabetic coma. My family took me to the hospital and the doctors told my mom I had ketones and …show more content…
The social institution of the government plays a key role in providing stability and safety for all the members of its society. When this institution comes into play with a fat tax, the question that is being raised is whether the fat tax will allow the government to fulfill its roles for the society, also known as its functional elements. With a fat tax in place, unhealthy foods would become more expensive, and lower income families would have even more financial distress. One reason that many children living under the poverty line are obese is that healthier foods are higher priced, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. This forces poorer families to choose the less expensive options, which include all the unhealthy food choices (Openchowski, par. 8). This is an unfortunate and unintended consequence of what is thought to be a beneficial action in the fight against obesity, so in this case the negative impact on the poor is the latent function, whereas the decrease in obesity is the manifest function, or the intended. With this as a consequence, most people would see the idea of a fat tax as a social cost for the society, and a failure in the government institution, as basic human needs are not being met. Sociologist would describe this as Social Disorganization, “where the social problem results from a rapid social change that disrupts the norms of society” (Larsen, “Understanding Social Problems/Structural Functional Perspective” 8). In society currently, the norms have switched from having home cooked meals to picking up food on the run to match peoples’ busy lifestyles. This has caused conflict in whether or not the government can tell people what or what not to eat by making unhealthy food more expensive. When it comes to what
Meredith Johnson
Economics: An Applied Public Policy and Social Science Analysis
Todd Larsen
12/12/13
Introduction
Mirna “Minnie” Ortiz is a lot like most 16 year olds; she likes doing fun things like hanging out with her friends, watching television and planning for the future ahead of her (“One patient’s story”, par. 1). But unfortunately for Minnie, she is the only person her age that has Type 2 diabetes that she knows of. “On my first day of 6th grade, I was sitting on the couch at home and then out of nowhere I fell into a diabetic coma. My family took me to the hospital and the doctors told my mom I had ketones and …show more content…
The social institution of the government plays a key role in providing stability and safety for all the members of its society. When this institution comes into play with a fat tax, the question that is being raised is whether the fat tax will allow the government to fulfill its roles for the society, also known as its functional elements. With a fat tax in place, unhealthy foods would become more expensive, and lower income families would have even more financial distress. One reason that many children living under the poverty line are obese is that healthier foods are higher priced, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. This forces poorer families to choose the less expensive options, which include all the unhealthy food choices (Openchowski, par. 8). This is an unfortunate and unintended consequence of what is thought to be a beneficial action in the fight against obesity, so in this case the negative impact on the poor is the latent function, whereas the decrease in obesity is the manifest function, or the intended. With this as a consequence, most people would see the idea of a fat tax as a social cost for the society, and a failure in the government institution, as basic human needs are not being met. Sociologist would describe this as Social Disorganization, “where the social problem results from a rapid social change that disrupts the norms of society” (Larsen, “Understanding Social Problems/Structural Functional Perspective” 8). In society currently, the norms have switched from having home cooked meals to picking up food on the run to match peoples’ busy lifestyles. This has caused conflict in whether or not the government can tell people what or what not to eat by making unhealthy food more expensive. When it comes to what