Sebastian Ward

Period 1
Mr.Davis
October/17/16
MCRP
People with less than a high school degree have the highest obesity rate. Obesity has
taken this country by storm, of Americans are obese. This contributes to a great sum of money
spent on health care, which can be prevented easily by people. As cheap high calorie meals
become cheaper the rates of obesity raise. Businesses have no incentives to make food healthier
either as it would cost more money to make. This bill will save the U.S money, save lives, and
help businesses.
This bill will save America money, as it will drastically help cut costs of the money being
spent on the health care costs that have been spent on obesity related illnesses. Typically
businesses pay 13% of profits, Giving them tax incentives for giving health benefits to
employees would just mean the state would take less money rather than lose it. If obesity rates
were to remain at 2010 levels, the projected savings for medical expenditures would be $549.5
billion over the next two decades.( Economic Costs of Obesity). If it is not evident already, that
is a large amount of money, which could be used for a lot of things. major categories of
economic impact linked with the obesity epidemic: direct medical costs, productivity costs,
transportation costs, and human capital costs(The Economic Impact of Obesity in the United
States). Lastly it affects more than just medical costs, this is why obesity is affecting the
economy. Not only do the economic reasons matter, but also the people matter.
Secondly, this will help cut obesity and encourage a healthy lifestyle, which is the
primary focus of this bill, to encourage good health. Due to the increasing rate of obesity, this is
a problem that needs to be dealt with. Obesity is a serious concern because it is associated with
poorer mental health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and the leading causes of death in the
U.S(Adult Obesity Causes and Consequences). Everyone deserves a good outlook on life, this
bill would help make it even just a little easier to obtain. Obesity is associated with increased
risks of the following cancer types, and possibly others as well: Esophagus, Pancreas,Colon and

rectum ,Breast (after menopause), Endometrium (lining of the uterus), Kidney, Thyroid,
Gallbladder(Obesity and Cancer Risk). More health risks that obesity can make you either more
prone to or even cause. So even if you do not care about the financial benefits, it's still good on
saving lives.
Finally the reason this is a good bill is if you own a business. An opportunity for your
business to save money as well as help the people who work hard for you so you can maintain
your business. Healthy workers are more motivated to stay in work, recover from sickness
quicker and are at less risk of long term illness(Benefits of a healthy workforce). This so far
seems to be a good benefit pretty self explanatory, more people come into work if you can
maintain a healthy staff. Beyond the physical activities, AIATSIS also encourages staff healthy
eating as well as social and emotional well being(Healthier Work). This is a company in
Australia and they have had impressive results as the staff is more connected and productive, as
they have a variety of sports and lunches. So there are some really good results, doesn't mean
there are not some risks involved or drawbacks.
Two counter arguments for this are people's distrust for tax incentives as they can be
deemed unfair and make the state look weak. large tax incentives can harm a state or localitys
reputation, but considering the benefits they should outweigh a state's status. Business owners
sometimes interpret the presence of lucrative incentives as a signal that a location may have
other serious weaknesses, or that the government is mismanaged or desperate(Tax Incentives:
Costly for States, Drag on the Nation). So tax incentives can also have some problem like
making the state look weaker and more desperate. they're unfair (some companies get them,
others don't( Yes, More Problems with Tax Incentives). Many say that tax incentives are unfair
and that all companies do not get them, but you only get these incentives if you participate so
they are optional. So the incentives will be fair for all in conclusion.
So this bill is good as it will save the U.S money, save lives, and make businesses
stronger. With all the money saved it can be put towards greater things and issues that need to be
dealt with. This bill will help, its very flexible so it can be tweaked to be even better with peoples
help.

Work Cited
Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences 15.Aug.2016.Web. Oct. 17. 2016
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html
Benefits of a healthy workforce.Web. 17.Oct. 2016
http://fitforwork.org/employer/benefits-of-a-healthy-workforce/
Finkelstein Economic Costs of Obesity2012. Web. 17.Oct. 2016
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult/causes.html
Hammond, Ross The Economic Impact of Obesity in the United States 14. Jan. 10. Web.
17.Oct. 2016 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047996/
Obesity and Cancer Risk 3.Jan. 2012. Web. 17.Oct.2016
https://www.cancer.gov/publications/fact-sheets
Spicer, Christine Healthier Work 2016. Print. 17. Oct. 2016
http://www.healthierwork.act.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Healthier-Work_casestudyboo
klet-2015-16_ACCESS-lores.pdf
Tax Incentives: Costly for States, Drag on the Nation 14. Aug. 2013. Web. 17. Oct. 2016
http://www.taxanalysts.org/tax-analysts-blog/yes-more-problems-tax-incentives/2014/10/29/165
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