As the prevalence of excess body weight has become normalized in Canadian society, this paper arguesfor implementation of a sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and high saturated fat (SF) food taxation inCanada. These harmful foods and beverages are associated with excess calorie intake, lower nutrientintake, and a rise in body mass index. As the waistlines of Canadians continue to grow, it is of utmostimportance for obesity and overweight to be externally managed by the government with taxation onunhealthy substances, and a simultaneous subsidy on healthier alternatives. Potentially pairing SSB/SFtaxation with a fruits and vegetables subsidy could be one of the most effective means of achieving alteredconsumption patterns. The purpose is to curb availability of the former, increase consumption of the latter,and reduce weight gain and the harms that come along with it (e.g. metabolic disease and type II diabetes).The paper’s analysis focuses on children, adolescents (12-17 years old), and lower socioeconomic statuspopulations, as these populations are at a higher risk for overweight and obesity and would be mostpositively affected by the proposed taxation and subsidy. Briefly outlining the options governments have inreducing the levels of SSB/SF, questions are posed for future research regarding the area of ultra-processedfood taxations. Finally, notable objections to SSB/SF taxation are considered and alternative methods aresuggested such as income-based subsidy programs, which address inequitable distributions of proposedtaxation on vulnerable groups like children, adolescents, and lower socioeconomic status groups. Keywords: Canada, fat tax, obesity, subsidy, taxation, ultra-processed foods
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