Public Policy Factors

One way that the risk of obesity can be affected is by public policy. If taxes are raised on certain foods or drinks, such as fast food, candy, and soda, people may be less likely to buy them. However, some people may not be impacted by this. It all depends on the individual. This debate is comparable to the argument of taxes on tobacco. Although taxes have gone up on certain tobacco products, it does not seem as if the amount of smokers in the United States has decreased dramatically. Some may say that the same thing would happen with fast food, candy, and soda. The Department of Nutrition and Food Studies says that in order for a successful intervention program to work, experts, educators, researchers, and not-for-profit organizations all need to collaborate to come up with some sort of plan to intervene. I think that the more people that are involved, the stronger the intervention program could be.
   According to the National Cancer Institute, many people favor tax breaks for employers that provide a good exercise facility in the workplace. This would be a great idea because it would give the employees and employers an incentive to exercise before or after work. The employers would not only benefit financially, but they would be able to use the facility as well in order to improve their physical activity. Overall, I think that policies like these would only prevent the risk of obesity.