Modern highly processed manufactured food consists the high level of simple carbohydrates, in particularly sugars, which in turn pose a significant threat to human health. Some people believe that introducing higher prices on such product would be an effective nudge for people to decrease their consumption of those types of products. In my reckon this method would definitely facilitate the reduction of the overall consumption of processed food.
Unfortunately for humans health prospects, people do enjoy products extremely high in fats and sugars. Historically those kinds food was the most nutritious, valuable and, consequently, beneficial for our ancestors survival. To put it in other words, the love for sweet food is wired in our brain, therefore it is very difficult for individuals to refuse to eat one more candy. Because of this physiological trait, it is very difficult to incentivize people to buy more expensive and less enjoyable healthy unprocessed products such as raw fruits or legumes. However, if the government imposes extra taxation on unhealthy food, making it significantly more expensive, people would start to consider healthy food as a more affordable option and more likely to choose it.
Critiques might say that people should have a free choice to eat whatever type of food they want, and it is not the government’s job to tell citizens what to consume. Although, this position is quite popular among certain supporters of the liberal values, it is quite inconsistent. As far as the universal health care is funded by the state budget, personal health stops been a personal issue, but become a shared problem. Excessed sugar consumption dramatically increases risks for all types of non-commutable diseases and the treatment of those diseases cost the states enormous sum of money. In this regard, government interest is to protect the public health to safe later cost on health treatments. And, as long as people use public money to manage their cases of diabetes and cancer, they can not say that the food they eat is not government’s and public’s business.
To draw a conclusion, despite some people who suggest that their food choices should not be affected by any state politics, whereas governments have to finance health care services for the public, the government should incentivize healthy food choices, and making unhealthy food less affordable is an effective way to do it.
Modern
highly
processed manufactured
food
consists the high level of simple carbohydrates, in
particularly
sugars, which in turn pose a significant threat to human
health
.
Some
people
believe that introducing higher prices on such
product
would be an effective nudge for
people
to decrease their consumption of those types of
products
. In my reckon this method would definitely facilitate the reduction of the
overall
consumption of processed food.
Unfortunately for humans
health
prospects,
people
do enjoy
products
extremely
high in fats and sugars.
Historically
those
kinds
food
was the most nutritious, valuable and,
consequently
, beneficial for our ancestors survival. To put it
in other words
, the
love
for sweet
food
is wired
in our brain,
therefore
it is
very
difficult for individuals to refuse to eat one more candy.
Because of this
physiological trait, it is
very
difficult to incentivize
people
to
buy
more expensive and less enjoyable healthy unprocessed
products
such as raw fruits or legumes.
However
, if the
government
imposes extra taxation on unhealthy
food
, making it
significantly
more expensive,
people
would
start
to consider healthy
food
as a more affordable option and more likely to choose it.
Critiques might say that
people
should have a free choice to eat whatever type of
food
they want, and it is not the
government’s
job to
tell
citizens what to consume. Although, this position is quite popular among certain supporters of the liberal values, it is quite inconsistent. As far as the universal
health
care
is funded
by the state budget, personal
health
stops
been a personal issue,
but
become a shared problem.
Excessed
sugar consumption
dramatically
increases
risks
for all types of non-commutable diseases and the treatment of those diseases cost the states enormous sum of money. In this regard,
government
interest is to protect the
public
health
to safe later cost on
health
treatments. And, as long as
people
use
public
money to manage their cases of diabetes and cancer, they can not say that the
food
they eat is not
government’s
and
public’s
business.
To draw a conclusion, despite
some
people
who suggest that their
food
choices should not be
affected
by any state politics, whereas
governments
have to
finance
health
care services for the
public
, the
government
should incentivize healthy
food
choices, and making unhealthy
food
less affordable is an effective way to do it.