The Country That Taxes People For Being Too Fat
It’s the only country in the world to have successfully tackled obesity, but could it work elsewhere?
In 1990, the obesity rate across much of the US was less than 15%. However, just twenty years later, 69% of all Americans were overweight, with 36% categorised as obese.
How did such a drastic change happen so quickly?
Broadly speaking, this was down to one reason; a lifestyle change. Poor eating habits, a lack of exercise and the increase in food tampering (like adding more sugar and calories) all contributed to rising obesity levels.
Almost every country has faced this epidemic, and few have managed to truly solve it—all except for one.
Somewhat controversially, this country introduced a ‘fat tax’ that essentially forced every business to take a mandatory waist measurement of its employees every year. If the employee didn’t make any improvements, then the business would be fined.
The target was to reduce the obesity rate by 25%, but as of 2021, this country’s nationwide obesity rate stands at a mere 4.3%, making the policy a resounding success.
But how exactly does this ‘fat tax’ work, and could it be used successfully in countries like the US?
