A number of countries, including Denmark and France, have placed taxes on unhealthy foods. If the product contains certain ingredients or a particular amount of fat, then the price increases in order to discourage purchasing. More recently, a country is considering whether parents of obsess children should be taxed for similar purposes. The policy makers of Puerto Rico have discussed the possibility of fining parents who have obese children but do not get them to lose weight. Is such a policy ethical? In other words, should parents of obese children be fined for failing to successfully get their children to lose weight? I will answer this question, but first I hope to provide an outline of the problem of obesity and a definition. Then, I will consider the arguments and issues that we must account for when making such a decision.
Obesity refers to a certain body mass index (BMI). While the problem does mean someone is simply “fat,” such a term is a bit too vague. The BMI is a calculation based on weight and height while sometimes account for age. It places men and women on a scale of healthy to unhealthy weights, ranging from malnourished to severely obese. A normal BMI lands between 18 and 24. The obese category includes those with a 30 or above mark on the BMI. The calculation is of course general and must also account for the person’s body type, but the ranking is a reliable way to plot general trends.
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"Speech: Should Parents of Obese Children be Fined?".
As of 2013 and 2014, 27.9% of adults in Puerto Rico were obese. America, renowned for its weight problems, has few states that rival the percentage in Puerto Rico, where almost a third of the adults are severely over weight. This matches the trend across the world. Of the entire global population, 13% percent are obese, a number that has doubled since 1980. Obesity is a problem, and it is acute in some places, such as the Americas and associated territories. An increasing number of children are likewise moving to the obese realm. Thus, we cannot say that the “fat” problem does not exist. The problem exists; the question is, what to do about it?
One proposal is to tax the parents of obese children. Regardless of the parents’ health, the country of Puerto Rico targets the child as the one in need of help and places the burden of solution on the parent. The parent is required to look after the child. The parent is not required to look after their own weight. How do we determine if such a policy is right or wrong? Let’s consider the issue from a few perspectives. First, I will consider the consequences of the policy. Second, I will consider the logic of the assumed principle. Third, I will look at the feasibility of the issue and the variables of the current situation, such as economic context. By way of these three points, I will show that parents should not be taxed for their children’s state of obesity.
If the parents were taxed, what are the consequences of such a action? The policy might inspire or guilt some families to lose weight. A mother who neglected her boy’s health may then receive a wake up call that the situation is not good. She could provide healthier meals and encourage exercise. This would result in a slimmer boy and an untaxed mother. However, the situation could also reverse. Let’s consider a father who is raising a daughter. He receives a notice that he will be fined if she maintains a certain weight for too long. Decidedly against the policy, the father decides to move his daughter or rally with other fathers and rebel against the government. He causes chaos in Puerto Rico or simply moves the problem elsewhere. These consequences are likely and show the opposite side of such positive obedience in the mother’s case. In light of the consequences, I do not think that the matter is conclusive. The policy might inspire either rebellion or stubbornness and likewise obedience and profit.
Second, what about the logic of the argument? Also, what does the policy assume? The policy assumes that the best approach to the problem is to target the children by way of the parents. It assumes that child obesity is a greater issue that adult obesity. That is why it directs the focus on children. However, the parents then become the responsible mediators for the solution. They rather than the children must fix the issue. But why is childhood obesity more important than parental obesity? There is not a universal principle regarding obesity in this legislation at all. Rather, it is a situation of better or worse. If the policy makers thought that obesity was a problem in and of itself, would they not tax all people for any form of obesity? The parents should logically be taxed for their fat. This reveals an assumption and lack of principled conviction in the argument for taxing parents. I commend an all or nothing approach; if obesity is a problem tax the parents not only because of their children but because of their own problem.
One last issue remains: the situation. Some families are too poor to afford decent food or look after their children. Also, healthy eating can cost much more than unhealthy eating. And finally, the problem is one of life long habits not immediate change. People need to develop habits of healthy eating from early years and also exercise. The problem is too complicated to simply tax parents. So, I say “No” to taxing parents for the obesity of their children.
