The ‘Fat Tax’ is real and is making lots of headlines…
Recently, we had an interview with Leah Graifer and she referenced the “Fat Tax.”
For those who are unaware, the “Fat Tax” is defined as:
a tax on foods or drinks considered unhealthy and whose consumption is believed to be linked to rising rates of obesity.
– Wikipedia/Google
Seemingly, to many law makers and those who are uneducated on fat acceptance, it seems like it’s a good idea in order to increase health. But, there are far too many biases and ignorances to discuss in a short informative blog post. The most important being that taxes don’t actually deter spending, as we note from seeing people spend over $10 for cigarettes in some states.
Moreover, there is a lot more to the “Fat Tax” than just trying to “keep people healthy.
Yes Magazine published an excellent article on our “fear of fat.” You can read it here:
https://www.yesmagazine.org/peace-justice/fat-bias-fear-weight-stigma-20191107
There have also been plenty of articles recently on Reddit and The Huffington Post. Just give it a quick google!
We see this all the time in real life. Just recently, as someone whose weight fluctuates, people have “complimented me” on my weight loss and said I “look great.” While I appreciate the sentiment, I have to think about what the other side of the coin looks like in their brain. Because, I’ll gain weight in a month. And, I still look great. Regardless of how I look, I am still worthy of their support and love.
We digress- that’s not even the tax that Graifer was mentioning. She was mentioning that there is an actual increase in prices for clothes that are plus size. We recently spoke to a reader who went shopping for her husband in a “Big and Tall” store. She said that four items at the store cost nearly $300. I, as a straight sized male, could have spent less than $100 for quality items in the same categories.
This is, of course, a problem in female clothing, as well. Most every store keeps their plus size clothing at a higher price. We recently published a post about “Old Navy” keeping their plus size clothing the same price as their straight size clothing! Wonderful, yes. But, should be unnecessary to note!
If it’s not something you’ve taken note of, the next time you’re shopping, whether you are a person of size or not, head to your plus size department or section and see what the price disparity is.
There are plenty of “reasons” for this disparity, none of which hold water. Garment size does not add that much fabric. If it were the reason for the price increase, you’d see a price increase of cents, not dollars. Plus size designers are scarce, but there are plenty of people capable of designing plus who are not being employed.
This “tax” system seems like less of a helpful way to “keep people healthy” and more of an unhealthy way to “keep people feeling unequal.”
What are your thoughts?
