The main suggestion in the report release on Tuesday by the independent Institute of Medicine and National Research Council called "Local Government Actions to Prevent Childhood Obesity" is to impose a junk food tax to help fight childhood obesity. An increasing problem in the US, childhood obesity has tripled in the past three decades. Many blame the lifestyles and eating habits as the main reason for this increase.
Three decades ago most meals were made from scratch by the mother in the home. Now there are plenty of choices of fast food restaurants, processed frozen meals and sugar soft drinks that are generally cheaper and more available than healthier choices. In addition, more children are spending most of their free time sitting watching TV or playing video games and not out playing physical games.
Nearly 17% of the children in the US are obese. Obesity has been proven as a major contributor to diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. There is also a concern that those that are obese as children will have great health issues as adults. It could also impact their life expectancy.
The report makes the suggestion that the government add a junk food tax on low nutritional foods, foods high in calories and high sugar drinks. This tax would be a determent to the children purchasing such food items and help them select healthier choices. This is not a popular topic by the food and soft drink industries. Such a tax on been proven to work with tobacco products though.
The report also makes other suggestions to help with getting children in the US more active and not just rely on a junk food tax to fight childhood obesity. The report suggestions opening up school playgrounds for the community to use, limit the use of televisions and video games in after school programs and provide tax credits to encourage grocery stores to open in under-served neighborhoods.
While it will take more than a junk food tax to help fight childhood obesity, the proposed tax may be a start. The nation needs to work together to make healthier food choices more affordable and easier to obtain. As a whole the nation also needs to become more active and start exercising more.
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