With obesity at 18.8% of the population and health care costs, Hungary has just implemented a ten forint (about $.50 tax) on fatty and sugary foods to cover health costs. So what exactly are Hungarians hungry for?
Other European nations are considering the same, despite the suggestion that education and/or subsidies for healthy fruits and veggies would be more effective. With about two-thirds of Americans being overweight or obese, should the United States follow suit?
Link -via reddit
The dobostorta cake, a five-layer vanilla and chocolate buttercream dessert with a caramel-glazed top layer, is probably Hungary's best-known treat -- at least after goulash. The cake can be seen in the vitrines of coffee houses and bakery shops lining the streets of Budapest.
"Hungarians are really into desserts," said Carolyn Banfalvi, co-founder of Taste Hungary. The tour company operator describes Hungarian food in general as "very fatty," with traditional cooking ingredients that include pork and goose fat. "What they call bacon here is often pieces of pure lard," she said.
The Hungarian government argues that this kind of diet is also leading to obesity and increased health problems, and that those who partake in indulgences like sweets should also pay a premium to help offset those costs. Enter the "fat tax."
Other European nations are considering the same, despite the suggestion that education and/or subsidies for healthy fruits and veggies would be more effective. With about two-thirds of Americans being overweight or obese, should the United States follow suit?
Link -via reddit
taxing food with fats would make our situation worse. already the financially poor must decide between cheap foods with government subsidized corn byproducts that contain an incredible amount of carbohydrates or the relatively expensive meats and vegetables.
hungary at least got it right to tax on the sweets.
At least they realize the sugar part is bad though.
This seems like an incredibly appalling attempt by a government to control people's behavior. How is this neat?
The next problem is that according to a number of studies, fat people (and smokers amazingly) actually cost less in medical care than their thin counterparts.
Seems they dying early part actually puts less of a strain on medical costs than living a long time.
Everybody is quick to rally behind smoking bans and the like, but it's time people started realizing unhealthy food is not... healthy either. So far they have gotten a totally free reign.