PoF Blog Post #1

In the article entitled "Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables" written by Mark Bittman illustrates a suggested idea to over come the diseases formed by unhealthy eating. Bittman is suggesting to increase taxes on unhealthy food believing, "taxes would reduce consumption of unhealthy food" (Bittman). If the government would increase the prices of unhealthy food there would be a greater demand for healthier food that is set at a lower price. Therefore, there would be a lower number of obese people in America. There was a great point made when Bittman presented how a 20% increase in price of sugary drinks would bring a 20% decrease in consumption which would prevent 1.5 million American from becoming obese.

In the article entitled "No Lunch Left Behind" written by Alice Waters presents the low standards the American Government is presenting in school lunches. The low investments towards school lunches is influencing low standard meals, "National School Lunch Program contains some of the same ingredients found in fast food" (Waters). Waters is desperately presenting the malnutrition the government is providing to young children and would like to see a new system who values the health of young American children. A strong argument was made when Waters pointed out how the parents of students should rely on the government to not influence the obesity issue into their children with unhealthy school lunches.

My topic partly addresses the increase of obesity in children. This article presents a valuation on school students in New York and the statistics of child obesity in the state of New York.

Childhood Obesity in New York City Elementary School Students