The Sheet I Provided on 8 Nov. Class

Self-discipline seems to be extraordinarily difficult for us. One area in which we see this lack of self-discipline is health, specifically with diet and exercise. People too often lack motivation to exercise on a regular basis. Although individuals typically think of exercise as a private matter, they are generally not aware of the consequences of their apathy on the well-being of others. If people were more aware of the detrimental effects that their not exercising has on themselves and on other people as well, perhaps they would be more motivated to visit the gym.

But they are not. Hence, we need something more than an appeal to self-discipline to encourage healthy behavior. To fulfill this need, states should be permitted to impose taxes on individuals, primarily those who are seriously overweight or obese, for their failure to comply with state-mandated exercise and dieting programs.

Statistics show that only 3 out of 10 people exercise regularly. Unfortunately, these individuals who do not exercise, in combination with their unhealthy eating habits, have a higher risk of developing certain life-threatening illnesses, like heart attacks, strokes, cancer, and diabetes. For instance, a diet that is high in fat
and cholesterol leads to a buildup in the arteries, potentially causing a heart attack when the buildup occurs in an artery carrying blood to the heart, or causing a stroke when the buildup restricts blood flow to the brain.

Similarly, exercise forces your heart to pump more blood, increasing your body's efficiency and possibly reducing the bad cholesterol in your body that could clog your arteries. But those persons who neglect healthier food and regular exercise run a higher risk of developing these kinds of diseases. Regular exercise and a healthy diet could also reduce the risk of prostate cancer and Type 2 diabetes, as individuals who maintain a high-fiber diet could slow prostate cancer cell growth by 30%, and individuals who reduce their sugar consumption also reduce their likelihood of acquiring Type 2 diabetes.

But beyond the physical benefits of regular exercise and a good diet, individuals also are more likely to experience better mental acuity when they adopt a healthier lifestyle. Brain research suggests that demanding exercise produces greater numbers of nerve cells, which may enhance memory skills. This benefit of better mental acuity due to exercise extends to the entire community, in that the community is less likely to have a need to care for unhealthy individuals who lack the mental capacity to care for themselves. Furthermore, experts say that another benefit of exercise is that exercise reduces anxiety and stress.

Compare the consequences of poor diet and infrequent exercise on the community with a nation's budget. Just as a person gains weight by taking in more calories than they burn, a nation incurs a greater deficit when spending exceeds what a nation produces. But a government's spending, even when there is a large deficit, does affect not only the government, but the entire nation, just as an unhealthy person, who consumes too much and does not burn many calories, affects the community as well as the individual, while effectively running a "health deficit."

Consider some of the statistics related to obesity, which is caused by a lack of exercise and poor dieting. One recent study found that states are paying $75 billion to treat obesity, indicating that expenditures for obesity are approaching spending levels for treatment of smoking-related illnesses. Because states are using so much
money to pay for obesity-related treatments, states are less able to use these limited resources to fund other programs, like services under Medicare and Medicaid. For example, 15.7 percent of California's Medicaid spending is used to treat obesity, meaning that those funds could be used to treat other diseases like most cancers, physical and mental disabilities, and common viral infections. In addition, obesity, unlike many other illnesses, is largely preventable, as individuals suffering from obesity could easily alter their unhealthy condition with regular exercise and a more nutritious and well-balanced diet.

Furthermore, a state tax on individuals who do not regularly exercise and diet would offer an additional source of funding to assist with treatment of obesity related illnesses because there could be funding for additional research and development to prevent and treat obesity. But supposing these funds were not used to treat obesity-related diseases, they could then be applied in areas outside of healthcare, to pay for educational and social programs, police and fire divisions, or homeland security. Therefore, states, along with communities in
general, have a responsibility to encourage healthy lifestyles.


When we consider that many individuals seemingly lack the motivation to exercise and properly diet, the state has every right to intervene, specifically by imposing a sort of health tax on those who do not comply with state exercise and dieting standards. Although this practice may seem somewhat discriminatory, it remains a fact that states and communities in general end up paying for most obesity-related treatments, and a state tax becomes the necessary alternative to individuals' inability to make careful decisions about exercise and diet.