A "Fat" Tax: Knowledge and Attitudes of Snack Food Taxing among College Students

Autor/inn/en	McMahan, Shari; Hampl, Jeffrey; Chikamoto, Yosuke
Titel	A "Fat" Tax: Knowledge and Attitudes of Snack Food Taxing among College Students
Quelle	In: American Journal of Health Education, 34 (2003) 6, S.329-334 (6 Seiten) PDF als Volltext (1); PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei (2) Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1932-5037
Schlagwörter	Obesity; Health Education; Taxes; Heart Disorders; Food; Knowledge Level; Student Attitudes; Costs; Diseases; Cancer; Incidence; Intervention; Prevention; College Students; Risk; Eating Habits; Surveys + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Adipositas; Gesundheitsaufklärung; Gesundheitsbildung; Gesundheitserziehung; Abgabe; Herzkrankheit; Lebensmittel; Wissensbasis; Schülerverhalten; Cost; Kosten; Disease; Krankheit; Carcinoma; Karzinom; Krebs (med); Krebserkrankung; Vorkommen; Prävention; Vorbeugung; Collegestudent; Risiko; Ernährungsgewohnheit; Essgewohnheit; Survey; Umfrage; Befragung
Abstract	The economic cost for the United States from heart disease, diabetes, and cancer is estimated at $71 billion annually. Along with this trend, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. To date, all interventions related to the prevention and treatment of obesity have failed. We must find a new way to prevent this epidemic from spreading. How then can we best encourage people to make lower-fat, more appropriate food choices? What if a tax was applied to unhealthy, fat-laden foods? Among those most affected by such a policy are college-age students. First, this age range (18-29) is at increased risk for obesity, and second, they spend an extraordinary amount of money on convenience food. The purpose of this study was to identify college student's knowledge and attitudes on policies regarding sales tax on snack-related food items. Surveys were administered in a variety of general education courses at two Western universities. Six-hundred sixty surveys were completed. Results indicated that many students (71.5%) were not aware of a snack food tax. About one-half (47.3%) felt they would support such a tax especially if the tax was minimal (e.g., 1 cent). (Contains 5 tables.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10