Introduction
Eating junk foods in excess wreaks havoc on our physical and mental
well-being. Reducing the amount of junk foods that we eat can improve
our health significantly. If there were a special tax on junk foods,
then the prices of these foods would go up. If junk foods were more
expensive, then people might be less likely to buy them. Is applying
a special tax on junk foods a good way to improve people's health?
Let's see what Henry and Ashley think.
Henry
(Constructive)
There should be a special tax on junk foods. One reason why people
buy junk food is because it is cheap. Candy bars, potato chips,
and sodas are all inexpensive. If junk foods were more expensive,
then people would be less likely to choose these unhealthy options.
For example, buying the ingredients and preparing a salad often
takes much more time and money than buying a fast food restaurant’s
hamburger. If junk food is cheap and easily accessible, people will
choose it over more expensive and healthier options.
Ashley
(Constructive)
There should not be a special tax on junk foods. Foods such as candy
bars and potato chips lack healthy nutrients. However, they do damage
to your body only if eaten in excess. It is more complicated than
you think to determine which foods are unhealthful. For example,
orange juice often has a high amount of sugar. Does that make it
unhealthful? Some types of meat contain a lot of fat. Does that
make it unhealthful? What constitutes a junk food?
Henry
(Rebuttal)
Your arguments miss the point of the debate. The goal of this debate
is to determine whether there should be a special tax on junk foods,
not how we should determine what constitutes a junk food. I agree
with you that it is a complex process to determine which foods are
unhealthful. We must first decide whether to implement the special
tax on junk foods, and then we can start thinking about how we can
systematically determine what foods are unhealthful.
Ashley
(Rebuttal)
People do not buy junk food because it is cheap and convenient.
They buy it because it tastes good! My favorite food is ice cream.
I would buy ice cream even if it was expensive because I enjoy the
taste of ice cream. Adding a special tax on junk foods is not the
answer. People will continue to pay what they have to pay in order
to eat the foods that they like.
Judge’s
Comments
Both debaters had great arguments. However, the winner of today’s
debate is Henry. Ashley strayed from the point of the debate in
her constructive argument. The point of the debate was to determine
whether we should implement a special tax on junk foods. In her
constructive argument, Ashley talked about the difficulties of determining
which foods are unhealthful. Although this may be true, I wish that
she had focused specifically on why a special tax on junk foods
would have been a bad idea.