The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

A NGO I found which I thought was relevant to this topic.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation : http://www.rwjf.org/

Mission:to improve the health and health care of all Americans.
Programs:Childhood obesity, Coverage, Human Capital, Public Health, Vulnerable Population

The foundation has $7.5 billion in assets, generating grants approaching $400 million a year to "address the nation’s most complex health and health care issues.

Established in 1968 after the founder, Robert Wood Johnsons death.

This foundation is the United States' largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care; it is based in Princeton, New Jersey.

Tax Junk Food!

I found a group on Facebook called Tax Junk Food!
It's mainly about obesity in the U.K. and suggests that taxation should be 50%
I thought it was quite interesting so I thought I'd post it on my blog.

Survey

Sorry for being late.
I had some trouble on my PC, so I posted my survey at school.

This is the link.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XQBHY59

Survey!!!!

We made a survey on junk food tax.

Please answer them here

This is to find out how much people are concerned with junk food.

How many countries actually have fat tax? How much tax are they putting?

Romania has just started fat tax in 2010.
They're putting fat tax on:
Fast-food products;
The cake and candy-making industry;
Snacks and crisps, and;
Soda, except water and fresh bottled juice.

Read more here:Romania becomes frist country to introduce Junk-food Tax

"Romania becomes first country to introduce junk-food tax." EurActiv. N.p., 07 Jan 2010. Web. 9 Jun 2011. .

Mostly Junk food taxation is done in the U.S.
The states that actually impose tax on junk food are:
Arkansas
Missouri
Rhode Island
Tennesse
Virginia
West Virginia
Washington
*These states seperate the taxes and fees on Soda and soft drinks.

Conneticut(6%)
Illinois(6.25%)
Indiana(5%)
Kentucky(6%)
Maine(5%)
Minnesota(6.5%)
New Jersey(6%)
New York(4%)
North Dakota(5%)
Texas(6.25%)
Washington(6.5%)

*These states have food exlucded from sales tax exemptions for food.

Found this on: Taxes on Junk Food

S. Lohman, Judith. "Taxes on Junk Food." OLR Research Report 23 Dec 2002. n. pag. Web. 9 Jun 2011. .

Junk Food Tax - wordle

I made a word cloud using a new report on ABC News: Junk Food Tax Could Improve Health

As you can see in the word cloud above, this article is mostly about how price increase on junk food, like soda, will actually help solve obesity. More states in America are debating about this health problem. However, researchers are giving evidence that fat tax really does succeed.


Fiore, Kristina. "Junk Food Tax Could Improve Health." ABCNews. MedPage Today , 10 Mar 2011. Web. 9 Jun 2011. .

You can make word clouds like mine on Wordle.

How was this junk food taxation made?

The history of junk food tax happens to be very long. It came up by a physiologist A. J. Carlson, in 1942, where he suggested an extra price for each pound of overweight. This concept was reintroduced in the late seventies by Milton Merryweather and P. Franklin Alexander, and became known to citizens to by Kelly D. Brownell, director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, in the 1980s.

Since then, there were debates about what we should do with junk food, and also obesity. In 2003 The World Health Organization proposed that nations consider taxing junk foods to encourage people to make healthier food choices.


I found this in Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fat_tax

Why I couldn't get the history of junk food tax from another site is because this was written in a book, which happens to be published only in the U.S.

Homelessness's question

1.25296 people.
16.Around 50.
17.Men.
18.In the park.

A Good site

Steenhuysen, Julie. "Tax soda, pizza to cut obesity, researchers say." 8 Mar 2011: n. pag. Web. 12 May 2011. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/03/08/us-food-tax-idUSTRE6275T720100308>.


This is an article that was on Reuters, an online news website. It talks about how researchers claim that taxing is actually effective on obese, by giving statistics and the results of their research. I thought this would be grouped as a "good" site, because the authority is trustworthy, not only is it from a news website, but also there are results given from a researcher who writes in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Questions for the topic

I've been searching for some questions which, by answering them, would make this issue more interesting. I've found out some, so I'll list them down:

1) How was junk food taxation made?

2) How many countries actually have fat tax? How much tax are they putting?

3) How are people who are NOT obese reacting to this tax?

4) Which countries are trying to introduce fat tax and why?

5) How harmful would this be for the fastfood industries?

6) How efficient is fat tax on obesity?

7) What are the benefits coming from taxation? Other than decreasing obesity?

8) Are there normal consumers who are against junk food taxation? Why?

9) When we say "junk food" what precisely should be taxed?

10) Would higher taxation on "junk food" effect the prices of "healthy foods"? In what way?

11)What do children think about junk food tax?

12)How would parents react to junk food tax?

13)How are schools which sell junk food reacting to this?

14)How are supermarkets reacting to this?


Since fat tax isn't not such a very deeply discussed topic, I think it will be hard to find these answers, but once we've found these answers I think everyone of us would have more knowledge about fat tax as well.

Perspective: Nutritionist

As a nutritionist, it is important to keep your food balanced and healthy.

Things that are preferable to prevent obese people:
1.municipalities should require new developments to include opportunities for recreation
2.schools should limit the sale and marketing of unhealthy foods, despite the money they would lose
3. fast foods should be taxed to raise money for prevention programs
4. people should put pressure on food industries to develop more nutritious products

Without these kinds of changes, nutritionists believes unchecked obesity and disease will overwhelm a health-care system that's already unable to keep up.
About 40% of the population in the US are diagnosed as obese, and many are suffering with diabetes, or heart attacks. This all comes from excessive eating of junk food, which, if you are an American, can't avoid.
By taxing junk food, people would realize how much calories that food has, and how it could wreck your life if you keep eating.