In determining which legislation would be best to address the needs of obese and overweight Americans, the needs and habits of the poor should not go unnoticed and will be taken most into consideration as the poor are disproportionately affected by obesity and are more sensitive to the price of specific items. Sales tax or “sin tax” should not be applied because that punishes the poor for buying the items. Instead, taxes shall be placed on the vendor for selling unhealthy items and tax benefits shall be awarded to vendors and corporations with healthy items. The terms “healthy” and “unhealthy” will have a legal definition provided by a matrix including level of processing, nutrition and calorie facts, vitamins and minerals, etc. The level of healthiness and unhealthiness that a corporation or vendor has shall have several levels and the healthiest level will receive the most tax benefits.
Additionally, whole grain flours will receive tax benefits and the farmers that sell their wheat to mills will have tax breaks for selling them to whole grain mills. Furthermore, the presence of fast food companies that sell the most healthy items will receive government funding as a reward for their start up business. The goal is not to have classic American fast food businesses close their doors, but to incentivize start up restaurants who sell healthy items to enter the market. Currently, the fast food industry is an oligopoly which is bad for the consumer when they don’t have as many options for dining out or getting a quick and affordable meal. Additionally, there must be provided an obesogenic celling, a maximum amount of obesogenic products that a vendor is able to sell in a year, and if they go beyond that amount they are liable for lawsuit. The fast food and obesogenic companies will recon with the concept that their responsibility is not only to their share holders but also to the communities of people whom they serve. These oligopolies need competition. They need companies that inspire beater health while encouraging the American values of free market, capitalism, and competition.