Salahi, L., Meaney, S. (2012, May 16) 'Fat Tax' to Lower Obesity. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/fat-tax-lower-obesity/story?id=16353067
Lara Salahi and Samantha Meaney, the authors of this article, discuss the benefits, and also the limitations, of a possible introduction of a 'fat tax' in America. A fat tax is a tax added to 'unhealthy' foods and drinks, in an attempt to stop the growing rate of obesity in America. In this article, Salahi and Meaney contrast this 'fat tax' with the high tax added to cigarettes in 2009, evaluating that there has been significant drops in the number of smokers since this introduction of tax. The authors provide us with statistics that open our eyes as the responder to this growing issue and the significance it has not only on obese people but also on regular citizens; for example, a tax of at least 20% placed on sugary drinks could drop obesity rates by 3.5% and prevent 2,700 heart-related deaths. Using examples such as nuts, avocado and fish, the article then presents arguments that oppose the 'fat tax', explaining that not all high fat foods are the cause of obesity in America and certain foods that are high in monounsaturated fats are often very beneficial to our health. Furthermore, the author cites a large amount alternative responses to the growing issue of obesity; for example, an associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of medicine Keith Ayoob taking the view that a focus should be emphasised on physical activity rather than diet. This use of examples from broad sources and perspectives persuades the responder to form their own opinion about the issue and provides greater insight into the complications, restraints and advantages of the potential introduction of a 'fat tax.'
Author David Maris brings a significant amount of research and statistics to this article to support his question of whether or not a fat tax should be introduced in America. Maris begins the article with a statistic, that 1 in 3 Americans believe that obese people should pay more in taxes than people within a healthy weight range, evaluating that perhaps it is not the food that should be taxed but the people themselves. Maris furthers this issue by explaining that taxing food is much more difficult due to the vast range of food products available that could be considered 'unhealthy,' as opposed to cigarettes which are just one product and one ingredient. Throughout this article, Maris incorporates a large amount of statistics that help form the background and foundation to the question of whether a fat tax should be introduced or not. The statistics incorporate individuals' age, income and location, which add credibility to the author and eliminate any signs of bias. Maris also addresses the issues associated with a largely taxpayer funded health care system, e.g. the Affordable Care Act, is that often the costs of the plan exceed predictions, evaluating that taxpayers will definitely look into and judge people who are making bad health decisions and need this care. Maris concludes his article by saying that a war on obesity cannot be won however America could be in a health care cost predicament if something doesn't change, due to the economic medical cost of obesity adding to over US$150 billion.
Betts, M., (2012, May 18) Fat tax to fight obesity crisis. Herald Sun. Retrieved from http://www.heraldsun.com.au/money/fat-tax-to-fight-obesity-crisis/story-e6frfh5f-1226360023728
The author of this article, Marianne Betts begins this article with many results from different surveys that all favour the view that a fat tax should be introduced in Australia. Citing references from the Obesity Policy Coalition and the British Experts, Betts evaluates that there is a large amount of people who support an introduction of a tax that essentially would make high-fat foods more expensive and healthier foods to be made cheaper. Betts then contrasts these arguments with concepts that may hinder the success of a fat tax, such as the people within low income communities, who are most affected by this fat tax due to the cost of healthy foods over the cost of unhealthy foods. Following on from this, Betts also incorporates the concept that the price of unhealthy food would have to be significantly raised in order to have an effect on obesity. Using examples such as the fact that many Australian parents are worried about childhood obesity and 40% are worried that their children are eating too much junk food, Betts emphasises the need for a fat tax in Australia in order to obesity levels to drop, and finally concludes the article providing information about the progress made in Australia to counteract this growing level of obesity.
Wilson, L., (2006). Mapping the journalism-blogging relationship: page 8, Objective qualities of work - advantages for journalism. DOI: 10.1177/1464884906068363. Retrieved from http://jou.sagepub.com/content/7/4/477.full.pdf+html
The author, Lowrey Wilson, begins this section of the academic article by stating how bureaucratization has assisted the prominence of journalism as a practise. Wilson follows this argument, linking this concept of bureaucratization into the relationship between bloggers and journalists, evaluating that bloggers can play a significant role in maintaining the prominence of journalism, as most bloggers are not paid for their work yet spread the word about vital pieces of information or news through their posts. The position of journalism is made stronger through bloggers, as they are dependant on mainstream news as a main source of their information. Furthermore, Wilson begins to talk about an 'organisational division of labour.' He states that large organisations are able to gather information from a wider range of sources, as compared to the blogger who doesn't have as much access to these fields of expertise and knowledge. Whilst these may be valid points, Wilson does not mention in this section of his article the growing number of 'citizen journalists' who are making information increasingly accessible to the general public, particularly through the utilisation of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. However, Wilson finishes this section of his article by evaluating that even though blogging is a quick and easy way for members of a wider community to access, their opinions and presentations of information are not as credible as those that have come from a larger organisation.
The author, Lowrey Wilson, begins this section of the academic article by stating how bureaucratization has assisted the prominence of journalism as a practise. Wilson follows this argument, linking this concept of bureaucratization into the relationship between bloggers and journalists, evaluating that bloggers can play a significant role in maintaining the prominence of journalism, as most bloggers are not paid for their work yet spread the word about vital pieces of information or news through their posts. The position of journalism is made stronger through bloggers, as they are dependant on mainstream news as a main source of their information. Furthermore, Wilson begins to talk about an 'organisational division of labour.' He states that large organisations are able to gather information from a wider range of sources, as compared to the blogger who doesn't have as much access to these fields of expertise and knowledge. Whilst these may be valid points, Wilson does not mention in this section of his article the growing number of 'citizen journalists' who are making information increasingly accessible to the general public, particularly through the utilisation of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. However, Wilson finishes this section of his article by evaluating that even though blogging is a quick and easy way for members of a wider community to access, their opinions and presentations of information are not as credible as those that have come from a larger organisation.
