Some people think that by making fast food more expensive people will consume it less and be healthier. As such, they want the government to tax fast food businesses more heavily in order to push up prices.

Consumers have various reasons for dining at fast food establishments, notably time, money, or convenience. Undoubtedly, these meals are generally not of great nutritional quality, yet governments ought to discover people’s motivations for eating them before attempting to make them pricier. Over time, they might discover that the benefits of a tax increase would likely be insignificant compared to the detriments. To begin with, one must consider the consumer. Aside from those wanting an occasional snack or a quick bite between appointments, the majority of customers who regularly consume fast food are those who cannot afford quality ingredients at the supermarket, or a properly equipped kitchen at home in which to prepare nutritious meals. In other words, one of the major appeals of this cuisine is its affordability. Removing this feature will not necessarily lead to a healthier population; on the contrary, it may in fact increase the rates of illness among poorer communities that will be forced to choose the cheapest items on these restaurants’ menus. There are of course potential benefits as well. Fats foods establishments can be encouraged to improve their food quality in exchange for tax breaks, thereby making their customers healthier in the process. However, this change of business model would incur heavy costs in terms of food production and staff retraining and would, accordingly, drive up prices as well. In the long term, this option would lead to the same results as increased taxes. In conclusion, while a portion of the population would benefit by eating less fast food, those who have no other choice would be harmed even more than at present. Thus, if the government truly wanted to help, they should instead subsidize the costs of healthy foods.