Taxing Fats: A Better Solution for Italy's Health?

You might think that taxing sugar is the way to go, but Italy has a bigger problem: excessive fat consumption. The government has been considering a sugar tax, but our research shows that it might not do much good. Instead, we suggest a fat tax. We used a special math model to see how taxes would change what people buy, how much they eat, how happy they are with their choices, and how much money they'd save from health improvements. Our study shows that a fat tax would have bigger costs than benefits at all income levels. And guess what? The impact would be a bit unfair, hurting lower-income people more. Italians might not be overdoing it with sugar, but they are certainly eating too much fat. So, a fat tax could be more effective in tackling health issues related to diet. However, we need to be careful. Making people pay more for fats might not make them healthier, and it could hit poorer people harder. When it comes to taxes on unhealthy food, it's not just about how much money low-income folks would spend. It's also about how much they would gain or lose overall.

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