Americans are overweight. 27.2% of us are considered obese and this percentage increases every year. This trend doesn't just affect those who are obese, it affects all of us. It touches each of us in a place that many of us hold dearest; our wallets. We all pay to subsidize additional medical expenses by paying higher insurance premiums. What if we could change the situation? What if by simply increasing the price of certain foods we could: save lives by reducing obesity rates, lower healthcare costs and provide more community recreation centers? You can. By imposing a tax on all servings of unhealthy foods, America would be able to lower the obesity rate, thereby lowering insurance premiums, and could use those funds to build community centers and activity areas. While I believe we should tax all unhealthy foods, to keep things simple, let's consider taxing one of America's favorite foods; French fries. On average, each American consumes twenty-nine pounds of French fries each year. With only about 316 million Americans, that's a lot of chips! What if we imposed a tax on French fries and made them more expensive? Instead of the fries having their normal price of ninety-nine cents, they were three dollars a serving. They would no longer be considered a must or staple when accompanying a burger. They would become what becomes the most expensive food, a treat or a luxury for most. Yes, you will always have those who can afford three dollars a serving of french fries for every meal if they want. For most Americans, however, the price increase would be prohibitive. Now that French fries have been classified as a luxury, what happens? Americans stop eating so many of them. The... center of the paper... equipment. Because of these additions to the community, there has been an increase in population which has allowed your state the funds needed to keep the roads properly maintained and build more along with many other improvements. All of this was made possible by taxing an unhealthy food. Isn't this the America you want to live in? Works cited "Obesity." Complications. Np, nd Web. March 25, 2014. Ungar, Rick. “Obesity now costs Americans more in health care spending than smoking.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, April 30, 2012. Web. March 27, 2014. “US Obesity Rates Rise in 2013.” US obesity rate rising in 2013. Np, nd Web. March 25, 2014."USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau." USA QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. Np, nd Web. March 26, 2014. "What Are We Eating? What the Average American Consume in a Year (image)." MindBodyGreen. Np, nd Web. March 27. 2014.