Sample Essay -- Agree/Disagree (Strongly disagree) (Increase tax on unhealthy food)

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Question

Some people think that the government should increase the tax on unhealthy food to encourage people to start eating healthy. Do you agree or disagree?

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Sample Essay

It is the opinion of a few that government authorities ought to raise taxes on food items that have an adverse impact on health so that the general public is discouraged from consuming them. However, I do not advocate this point of view.

There are a number of reasons against this viewpoint. To begin with, it cannot be denied that youngsters, who are the biggest consumers of fast food, usually need to cut corners. Some may argue that the higher the price of such food items, the lower the quantity of these items that young people consume would be. However, if certain individuals are deterred from buying the eatables at inflated prices, it would be temporary. This is apparent from the massive sales of highly taxed products such as liquor and cigarettes. Therefore, I am of the opinion that a tax hike is a short-term solution.

Moreover, it is essential to value an individual’s freedom of choice. Therefore, whenever possible, the consumer must be made aware of the ramifications of eating unhealthy food so that they can make an informed choice rather than forcing abstinence from such food products on them. Last but not the least, one key reason why many, especially youngsters gravitate towards these eatables is their easy availability. Once again, the focus needs to be on ensuring that the healthy alternatives should be as, if not more, easily available.

In conclusion, I am in strong disagreement with the suggestion that an increment in tax on food items which damage health would work as a deterrent in the long run and result in reduced consumption of these eatables.

Alternative first (introductory) paragraph

One school of thought regarding the issue of increasing consumption of unhealthy food items is that higher taxes ought to be imposed on them by the government authorities. However, in my opinion, this does not seem to be a long-term, viable solution to this complex problem.

Alternative second paragraph

There are a number of reasons against this viewpoint. To begin with, it cannot be denied that youngsters, who bear the worst brunt of the accelerating trend of junk food consumption, usually need to cut corners. Some may argue that the higher the price of such food items, the lower the quantity of these items that young people consume would be. However, if certain individuals are deterred from buying the eatables at inflated prices, it would be temporary and only if they are on a tight budget. This is apparent from the massive sales of highly taxed products such as liquor and cigarettes. Therefore, I am of the opinion that a tax hike is a short-term solution. What is worse, once these youngsters can afford these products, the ramifications could be binge eating, which is much worse. Studies have shown that more often than not, gluttony is a graver concern, the chances of which increase multifold if one considers unhealthy food items as a forbidden fruit. Therefore, I strongly believe that in this case, moderation is the key which is only possible through awareness and self-discipline.