Heart-Related Ailments: Why High-Fat Foods Should Be Taxed?

In 2006, the American Heart foundation revealed that more than 910,000 US citizens die of the cardiovascular disease annually. The foundation also revealed that an estimated 70 million citizens live every day with heart-related complications such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular ailments, angina, heart failures, and congenital heart deficiencies (Carter para. 4). Although experts believe the figure may be going down, heart-related complications remain the number one killer in the US. Consecutive studies have revealed a correlation between a high-fat diet and an increase in cardiovascular risks (Challem 35).

Within a few hours after taking a fatty meal, individuals are known to develop an enhanced peripheral vascular resistance as well as a constant hyper-reactivity of the main cardiovascular system. Indeed, research has also revealed that a single plate of a high-fat meal can enhance systolic and diastolic blood pressure, ultimately doubling the chances of the above-named diseases.

Considering the above discussion, there exists an urgent need to tax high-fat foods not only to reduce the high incidences of heart disease but also to assist offset the enormous cost of treatment. Some individuals are known to take high-fat foods out of ignorance while others are addicted to junk food, which is known to cause substantial damage to the cardiovascular system (Challem 34). These individuals can be discouraged from taking such foods by raising taxes on them to make them more expensive and out of reach to young children.

Raising taxes on fatty foods may disadvantage the producers and marketers of such foods in terms of lost sales. However, the lost revenue is nothing compared to the huge costs associated with treating heart ailments. Indeed, the advantages of limiting the sale of such food through enhanced taxes will go a long way in eliminating the expenditure incurred by state health agencies and individuals in treating heart ailments (Challem 39).

Individuals must be offered the opportunity to live to their fullest potential. However, heart-related complications are popular for all the wrong reasons, including curtailing individuals from living to the fullest potential. As such, it is fundamental to deter individuals from risking their lives by taxing high-fat foods. Increasing taxes on such food items can be an effective deterrence strategy. What’s more, the money accruing from the taxes can be used to sensitize Americans on the need to observe healthy living.

Works Cited

Carter, M. Heart disease Still the Most Likely Reason you’ll die. CNN. 2006. Web.

Challem, J. User’s guide to nutritional supplements. Basic Health Publications, Inc. 2003. Web.